Don't Wake Me Up
by Goddess of the Books
Summary: When a normal, small town girl winds up in Middle Earth, she finds herself falling head over heels for a certain elven prince. She winds up joining their quest to destroy the ring, and perhaps get closer to Legolas along the way. Will she survive? Or will she fall victim to the terrors that lurk in every shadow of Middle Earth? Tenth walker. Legolas/OC
1. Where I Belong

_One ring to rule them all, one ring to find the, one ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them._

**Where I Belong**

I pace back and forth. Then walk back to the mirror. I peer into it once more, taking in the woman before me. My dark brown hair that falls just past my shoulders. My fair skin and almond shaped hazel eyes. My thin lips and high cheekbones. I look like everyone else. I walk and talk like everyone else, but I'm not like everyone else. No, I don't belong here.

I can't explain it, but all my life I've felt drawn to adventure. Not normal adventure, crazy adventure like learning archery and swordplay. Ever since I was a little girl, I've loved being outside under the sun or stars. Even to this day I hate big cities. I live in a small town, and the town is surrounded by a huge forest. I manage a small book store and in my spare time, I hunt using a bow. I also practice swordplay like I mentioned earlier. I prefer long swords, though I own a variety of weapons.

I resume my pacing, lost in thought. I misplaced my signed copy of the Fellowship of the Ring. This is a huge problem because my best friend Leah just bought it for me. She knew I was about to reread the series, and managed to get her hands on a signed copy. But of course, just as I'm about to read it, the book wanders off. I for the life of me can't remember where I put it though! I must have done something with it, I just can't remember what. Perhaps I left it at the store… I grab my coat and step outside, locking my door behind me.

"Elsira!" I hear a voice call. I turn, it's Leah. She waves and walks towards me. I smile; Leah was my first friend when I moved here with my family when I was 14. My parents moved away when I was 18, but I loved this place too much to leave it, so they left me the house and let me stay.

"I was just coming over to drop off that pizza you ordered. Something on your mind Ells?" Leah worked at the pizza parlor. It was the only one in town, so it was pretty popular. I shrug, and then take the pizza box from her. I walk away before she can question me further. I love Leah, but sometimes she's just a bit too nosy.

When I get to my shop, it's almost 10. I have a small room set up in the back for when I'm working late or don't feel like walking home. That's when I notice the lock, it's broken. I push open the door and flick on the lights. Adrenaline begins to pump through my veins and my breathing becomes faster. My shop is in ruins, books are strewn about everywhere, and many things are broken. I go to my room in the back, and hear a click. I turn, and look down the barrel of a gun.

I stumble back, and the mind numbing terror I expect doesn't come. I feel calm. I close my eyes, expecting to die, but instead I see a massive field with flowers of every size and color. Directly in front of me, is a man. He has long blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes. His face is fair and inhumanly beautiful, but my eyes are drawn to his ears, his _pointed_ ears.

My eyes open, and I see the gun. I feel a power surge from within me, and the man flies back, his gun unfired. Everything goes black, and unconsciousness claims me.

I wake up in a soft bed with warm blankets and downy pillows. How odd, I don't recall by bed being this soft. I open my eyes, and abruptly close them again. This can't be real. No way is this real. I open my eyes, it's real.

I'm in a white room with silver swirls on the base of the walls. I'm lying in a large white bed, much larger than my own. It's so soft, it's like laying on satin, but warmer and it smells like the forest. It smells of pine trees and meadows and makes me think of the vision I had before, wait, what happened to me? Where am I?

I sit up and look around, taking in my surroundings. There's a large window with flowers sitting on the ledge. They are a soft lavender color, and I can't recall for the life of me what they are. That's all because my general knowledge of plants and herbs are fairly good.

A slender, graceful girl opens the door, stepping in. Her eyes are the color of honey, and her hair is sleek and dark brown, pinned back so it drapes elegantly over one shoulder. She has high cheekbones, a soft round face and refined features. She has fair skin, and as she turns slightly to the side, I notice her pointed ears.

"My lady, you are awake." Her voice sounds like bells, so sweet and pure. She walks over to an elegant wooden dresser and pulls out a dress that seems to shift before my eyes. The colors match my eyes, and though the colors don't move, when the dress moves they seem to. She pulls out a light green corset, and I wonder again where we are.

"Um, where are we?" I ask her. She looks at me, almost as if she was confused by the question.

"You are in Rivendell my lady." Rivendell? As in, Rivendell in MIDDLE EARTH? That's impossible! If I'm in Rivendell, then she's an elf. I put my hands on my head and rub my temples.

"Are you feeling all right my lady?" Her concern is evident.

"Just call me Elsira. And, what's your name?" she looks taken aback, and I realize that most people who come here don't ask for her name.

"My name is Nyania." Nyania, that's such a pretty name. I get out of bed, and let Nyania help me put on the dress and corset. I can barely breath, but it'll do for now.

"Lord Elrond wished to speak with you. It would not be wise to delay his wishes my lady." I nod my acceptance, and allow her to lead me through the place to Lord Elrond. As soon as I enter the room, I know it's him. His face has an ageless quality, and his hair is the color of the darkest of shadows. His eyes are gray, and speak of great wisdom. I bow, and then realize I should have curtsied, oh well. A smile plays at the corners of Elrond's lips, and I know he's amused by my improper response. Nyania curtsies and then leaves, her head bowed.

Lord Elrond motions for me to follow him, and we head into another, smaller room. I spot a tall old man with a long gray beard and kind eyes, and instantly know it to be Gandalf. He smiles knowingly, as if in acknowledgement of an unknown secret. I find myself smiling back, quite happy that Gandalf is here.

"Greetings Gandalf, it's truly a pleasure to meet you." I say warmly. Wait, I'm not supposed to know who he is! Gandalf laughs a little, and then motions for me to sit. I sit in one of the chairs, and Lord Elrond sits in another. Oh! I forgot to tell them my name!

"Um, my name is Elsira my lord." I say.

"Please, just call me Elrond. Now, Elsira, where are you from? One of our guests found you unconscious in the forest. You had no markings or papers of any sort on you, and we had no way to find out who you are or why you're here." He says smoothly, his voice is beautiful too, much like Nyania's. His voice has a rich masculinity to it.

"Well, that's the thing Lord Elrond; I don't know how I got here. I'm not even from Middle Earth. I'm from a place where the only race is humans. My world is nothing like yours. The last thing I remember is feeling power rush through me, and throwing some guy across a room without touching him." I know I sound crazy, but I'm relying on Elrond and Gandalf to believe me. Elrond looks to Gandalf.

"She speaks the truth. She knows naught of that which she is here in our world, only what she thought of herself in her own." Gandalf's voice is nothing like I expected. I expected it to be like most old people's, frail and quavering. Gandalf's voice was strong and powerful, and I could hear the strength in it.

"What do you mean; I don't know what I am? I know perfectly well what I am. I'm a 23 year old human girl!" My traitorous voice betrays my unease. Lord Elrond arches a thin eyebrow.

"My dear girl, you are an elf." My jaw drops, literally. I'm surprised it didn't hit the floor. I reach up to feel my ears, and sure enough they're pointed. I sit there stupidly for a long time, trying to get a grip on what I've just learned. Sure I've always wanted to be an elf, but to actually BE one? I can't believe it.

"This has to be a dream or something." I take a deep breath, and then wince as I remember the corset. Gandalf shakes his head.

"I promise you, this is no dream." I sit back and try to take in what he just said. All my life, I've dreamed that I could really come to Middle Earth, but now that I'm here, I'm just lost and confused. I didn't belong anywhere in my old life, but what if I don't belong here either? This isn't some dream where you can just wake up or some book where you know there's a happy ending. This is real, and I'm a bit scared of that. I could be killed by an endless number of things here, whereas back home, there were about 10.

"My lady, are you all right?" I realize that my breathing has become rather erratic, and I try to calm down. A small Elvin boy rushes in and whispers something to Elrond. He nods, and the boy runs off.

"I'm afraid I have some rather important business to attend to, excuse me." Elrond stands and leaves the room. Gandalf looks at me, almost quizzically.

"Elsira, I know that you are not from here, but would you mind telling me everything that led up to your coming here?" I nod, and relay to him my tale. I include every detail, no matter how small. After I finish, there's a long pause.

"Will I ever go back Gandalf?" My voice sounds small, and almost childlike. He shakes his head slightly, and the reality of it sinks in. I'm not going back. No more movie nights with Leah, no more late nights at the books store, no more 3 hour phone calls with old friends. It's all gone. I grin, thinking of everything that's gone. No more pollution, no more cars, no more big cities, no more incurable diseases, no more atom bombs, no guns, no more killing people for the people for the paper in their pockets.

This is where I belong; this is where I've always belonged. If this is a dream, I pray that I never wake. I pinch myself, wow that was stupid. I could have just taken a deep breath, which would have hurt less. This can't be a dream. Nyania walks into the room; she bows slightly to Gandalf, and then turns to me.

"My lady, I mean Elsira; there is someone who wishes to speak with you." I stand up and allow her to lead me down the hall and into another room, this one larger than the last. Inside, stands a tall, broad shouldered man. He has shaggy brown hair with flecks of gray and stormy gray eyes. Aragorn, it must be him. He bows, his eyes never leaving me.

"Greeting my Lady, my name is Aragorn." I curtsy, and then stand straight, wondering why he wishes to speak to me. Wait, if he's here… What exactly has been going on? I haven't read the books since I was 12, so I only vaguely remember the story. But I pictured every character, imagined their voices, and every move they made. I remember their faces, but to see them, living and breathing, right in front of me? It's amazing. I realize that I haven't told him my name, I keep getting distracted.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Aragorn, my name is Elsira. Might I ask why you wish to speak with me?" My tone is very polite, because if I recall correctly, Aragorn was royalty.

"Well, 'twas I who found you my lady. I wanted to know if you were all right." I hear concern in his voice. Wow, he took the time to track me down just to make sure I was ok? If everyone here is this nice then I could definitely get used to this.

"I'm fine thanks to you. I appreciate your concern. May I ask you a question?" He nods. Hmmm, how do I word this without letting him know the extent of my knowledge?

"Might I ask about Frodo? My chambermaid mentioned him, and said that you might know more" I hope he knows Frodo, if not; I'm going to feel stupid.

"Ah, yes. The hobbit is recovering well. Frodo is tough, and Arwen managed to get him here in time for the healers to save him. He was stabbed by a Nazgul, he barely survived. We're fortunate that he made it." Oh gosh, so it's somewhere in the first book. Ugh! Why can't I remember more? It's getting harder and harder to recall my life before coming here. Recent events I can remember with ease, but things from the distant past? Forget it, literally. It's like trying to remember a dream after you've woken up.

Just then, a Halfling man with bright eyes and curly brown hair walks into the room. I instantly know him to be Frodo. His smiles when he sees Aragorn, and then his eyes turn to me. I see pain in his eyes, a pain that should not be in the eyes of one so young. He smiles brilliantly, and waves at both of us.

"Hello there! My name is Frodo." I can't help but smile at his almost childlike appearance and happiness. He bows slightly, and I see a glint of gold tucked away in his shirt. The ring. I tear my eyes away from it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Frodo, my name is Elsira." My happiness returns. I smile at the Hobbit, and watch as he leaves the room.

"He carries a great burden that many men twice his size could not carry." Aragorn says quietly, as I knew what he spoke of. Coincidentally I do, but he doesn't need to know that. Not yet at least. Perhaps not ever. Gandalf walks into the room.

"Aragorn, you are needed for a council, and perhaps Elsira should come as well." I nod, and follow Gandalf and Aragorn to the council meeting place. On our way there, I see a breathtakingly handsome elf. He has long blonde hair and gorgeous eyes. His skin is fair and his features refined and perfect. His pointed ears mark him as an elf, and then his eyes meet mine.

It's him. The elf I saw from my vision. He's real. A name enters my mind unbidden, and I instantly know it's his, Legolas. I tear my eyes away from him, and follow Aragorn once more. I'll see him again. I'm sure of it.

**And that concludes chapter one! Love it? Hate it? Review it! Tell me what you think was good, and what you think was not so good. Please use constructive criticism! Sadly, I own nothing but the OC and some of the things yet to come. Well, that's all for now! Goddess out.**


	2. More Than Meets The Eye

_Hello my dear readers! I originally wasn't going to update it this soon, but due to it being a bigger hit than my other one, I decided to update ASAP! Enjoy! Oh, and by the way, I don't follow the exact path of that the fellowship took, there are longer pauses that I felt was needed for the success of this story. Please don't read it and say, they didn't wait there that long! Also, the conversations are similar, but not the same._

**More Than Meets the Eye**

As I take my seat at the council, I can't help but look for Legolas. I scan the council members, spotting him instantly between a few other elves. I'm the only girl in the council. I continue to observe the people, and a few stick out to me. One I notice is a stocky, broad shouldered dwarf with a large reddish brown beard that he obviously took great pride in. He sits proudly, head held high, with an axe by his side and armour bearing the crest of the people of Darin. I'm not sure how I know that, it just popped into my head.

I also notice a human. He sits apart from the rest of the council, and I instantly note his haughty, superior attitude. He's tall, and his features are more refined than the dwarves, but less so than the elves. His face is fair and noble, and he has dark hair that falls to his shoulders and gray eyes. He wears a fur lined cloak and has a horn edged with silver upon his lap. His fine clothes are slightly stained from his travels.

"Bring forth the ring, Frodo." That snaps me out of my trance. I watch him lay the ring on a stone pedestal, and note they eyes of all focus on it. I hear voices, but I cannot tear my eyes from the ring, and the words fall on deaf ears. The human stands, stepping towards the ring, his mouth moves, but I cannot hear it. _Elsira, come to me. Elsira, Elsira, Elsira._

"Elsira!" Frodo whispers. I snap out of my trance, and notice that I was gripping the arms of the chair hard enough to turn my knuckles white. It was the Ring, it spoke to me. I nod at Frodo, and watch him relax. He obviously thought I was going to try and take the ring.

"Boromir!" Cried Elrond angrily. Ah, so that's his name.

I watch as Gandalf stands, and begins to chant. The sky grows dark, and thunder booms menacingly overhead. The man returned to his seat, and Elrond turned on Gandalf angrily.

"Never before has a voice uttered words of that tongue here in Imladris!" Elrond's eyes are filled with unbridled rage, and his voice is raised. I note a movement out of the corner of my eye, and I turn to it. I see two hobbits crouched in a bush, I think their names are Merry and Pippin, if I recall correctly. I try to remember the names of the others, but I cannot. I turn back around just in time to see the dwarf from earlier leap to his feet, axe in hand.

"Then what are we waiting for?" He raises his axe above his head and brings it down upon the ring. There's a loud crack, and the dwarf is suddenly on his back, his axe shattered. He shakes his head and stands, uninjured. The ring lies where is was, unscratched.

"The ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Gloin, with any craft we here possess. The ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. Only there can it be unmade. It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast into the fiery chasm from whence it came. And one of you must do this." At the sound of Elrond's voice, everyone fell silent, not wanting to aggravate him further.

I listened as Boromir started to tell the council reasons why the Ring could not be destroyed. As he listed reason after reason, I finally had enough.

"Look, we can list endless reasons why something cannot be done, or we can just shut up and do it!" I cried, leaping to my feet. I was sick of listening to this annoying man already. Apparently Legolas agreed, as he too, leapt to his feet.

"Have you heard nothing of what Elrond just said? The Ring must be destroyed!" He said angrily, fury in his eyes and voice.

"And I suppose you think you're one to do it? " Gimli too, stood. His shout aimed at Legolas.

"And what if we fail, what then? What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?" Boromir says heatedly. Everyone notes the 'when' instead of 'if'. He clearly does not believe that we will succeed.

"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an elf! Never trust an elf!" Gimli yells. At this, many of the council members stand, and start shouting at one another. The argument becomes a chaotic uproar, and I glance over at Frodo. His eyes are glued to the ring. My eyes turn to the ring, only to see flames flickering within the gold. Then Gandalf rises to his feet.

"Do you not understand? While we bicker among ourselves, Sauron's power grows! None will escape it. You all will be destroyed, your homes burnt and your families put to the sword." That shut them up. Then they resume their bickering. I glance back at Frodo, who looks horrified, like he can see something we can't. Then his eyes clear and he stands.

"I will take the Ring to Mordor." His voice is strong and clear. All eyes turn to him, and a lengthy silence ensues. I did not expect him to volunteer, no one did.

"Though… I do not know the way." His voice is quiet now, not loud and clear like a moment before. Gandalf turns to Frodo.

"I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear." Gandalf eyes the rest of the council wearily.

"Frodo Baggins, I shall aid you on your quest, and protect you with my life" Aragorn kneels before Frodo, peering intently into his eyes, much like a father would his son.

"You have my sword," Aragorn finishes. Legolas steps forwards, standing before Frodo.

"And my bow." He adds. Gimli steps forward as well. He takes a deep breath and puffs out his chest proudly before saying, "and my axe." Frodo smiles. As I sit here, I realize something. I came here for a reason, perhaps this is my reason. I stand as well, and I hear Boromir groan in aggravation.

"And for what it is worth, you have my sword, bow and whatever else I can lend you in this quest." I say strongly, my voice making me sound much surer than I feel inside.

"If this is truly your path, then I shall walk it with you as well." Boromir says stepping forward. I had not expected that, perhaps there is more to this man than meets the eye. Out of nowhere, another hobbit runs up. He's plump with short wavy hair and a round face.

"Mr. Frodo! I've come with you this far, I'll not see you walk into danger without me there to help you!" That must be Sam. The two hobbits I saw in the bushes leap out as well.

"We're coming too!" Lord Elrond's face is priceless. He stares at the three uninvited hobbits, and then rubs his head, as if trying to relieve a headache.

"It appears you all don't understand the importance of the words private council. You are not going to accompany them on their quest." I can't help but chuckle at his words, and a smile touches the lips of a few others as well. Both hobbits are around four feet tall, and have round, childlike faces. One has a mischievous gleam in his eyes, while the other's eyes are full of determination. One's hair is longer than the others, but both have wavy brown hair.

"Then, Master Elrond, you will have to lock my in prison or send me home tied in a sack, because otherwise, I shall follow them! Besides, you need intelligence on this quest, adventure… thing." Said the one with longer hair and the mischievous eyes delightedly happily. The other one hits him on the back of the head.

"Well that rules you out Pippin." He says. I laugh as the one named Pippin shoves the other.

"Shut up Merry!" Cries Pippin indignantly. I can't help it, another laugh escapes me. Merry and Pippin, these two could get us in a lot of trouble, but we'll certainly enjoy getting into trouble. Lord Elrond nods, and waves his hand in a gesture that signifies that we should leave. So, he pretty much just shooed us off.

I walk back to my room, getting lost only once. I should probably find a weapon, and some armour. I see Elrond, and walk towards him.

"Lord Elrond, might I ask a favor?" He stops and turns towards me.

"What do you need my dear?" He says smoothly, as if he hadn't been angry a few minutes ago. From what I've read and seen, I figure that to be an Elf thing.

"I, um… I need weapons and armour."I say quietly, ashamed that I don't have any. If only I could have brought my weapons from home here with me! He nods, understanding.

"Yes of course, I'll have Nyania bring you some. Feel free to go to the training field, ask Nyania, she'll show you where it is. Now if you'll excuse me, I've some business to attend to." I nod and he walks off. I make my way back to my room, and sit down. I start unlacing the corset, and Nyania walks in, carrying some leather armour. She helps me change into it, and then leads me to a room full of weapons.

I wander around, picking up various long swords, swinging them a few times, and then putting them back down. None of them feel right. I spot one over in the corner. I pick it up, marveling at how light it is. It's a thin blade, and the hilt is silver with engravings of flames that appear to travel up the hilt, ending at the beginning of the blade. It fits perfectly in my hand, and as I swing it, I note the perfection of the balance. I look around for its sheath, and see it lying not far from where I found the sword. The sheath has words engraved on it.

"Valderain," I whisper. Nyania looks at me curiously, but says nothing.

"Nyania, could you please show me to the training grounds?" I ask, turning towards her. She nods, and I follow her outside. I see a large flat clearing, along with some targets. I walk down to clearing, and unsheathe the sword. I close my eyes, picturing enemies all around me, and then open my eyes once more. I roll my shoulders and open my eyes, and then begin to fight the invisible enemies.

"Need some help?" I look over towards the shadows and see Aragorn leaning against a tree. How long has he been there?

"Sure." I say, and he unsheathes a sword and steps towards me. He beckons me to make the first move, so I feint to the left before stabbing right. He parries it easily, and twists, chopping down diagonally. I sidestep and sweep my blade across at his belly. He parries again, and then steps back.

"Open up your stance and move your feet more." He lunges at me, and I block, doing as he says. I quickstep to the side as his sword hits mine, and use the blow to strengthen my own. For a long time, all that can be heard is the ring of metal hitting metal. He stabs at my feet and I leap up, landing awkwardly and falling. He disarms me and I prop myself up on my elbows, blowing my hair out of my face. He helps me up.

"Not bad. Much better than I had anticipated. Did you not also say you could handle a bow?" I nod, proud that I had surprised the seasoned ranger. I know he was taking it easy on me, and I rather with I could see him in battle, as that must be quite a sight to see.

We walk over to the targets, and he hands me a bow. It's a longbow, definitely of elfish make. It's light and strong. I test the draw, it's more than satisfactory. I grab an arrow from the little pile that Aragorn laid down for me, and notch it. I draw back the bow, take a deep breath, and then shoot. I'd love to say I hit the target dead center. I did not. I hit it a bit low and to the left. I hit the target though, that's a start.

"Shoot when you breathe out, that way you'll be steadier. Also, hold your left arm a little higher." I draw the bow, and he taps my arm, lifting it slightly. I breathe in, and as I breathe out I fire, and hit the middle of the target. I grin, and Aragorn claps me on the shoulder.

"Well done, work hard at it and you might one day be as good as me." The voice is sweet and melodic, not like Aragorn's rougher, harder voice. I turn, and see Legolas walking towards us. He has a bow slung over his shoulder and a quiver full of arrows.

"Well then, why don't you show me what I should be striving towards?" I ask. He nonchalantly takes his bow off his shoulder, and before I can blink fires three arrows, all of which hit dead center. My eyes widen, and Legolas smiles. Aragorn laughs at my expression, and I let out a huff of displeasure. I smile slightly, unable to maintain my frown. I never did have a very good poker face.

"So, you'll be joining the Fellowship?" Legolas asks. That confuses me momentarily, and then I realize that he must be talking about the quest. They named our group the Fellowship I guess. I nod, and he smiles.

"Well then, let me formally introduce myself. My name is Legolas." He bows, kissing my hand. I blush slightly; no one has ever done that. He stands straight once more, and I realize he's waiting for me to tell him my name.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Legolas, my name is Elsira." I say coolly. He inclines his head slightly in acknowledgement.

"Rumor has it you are new to Rivendell, might I ask where you are from?" Oh crap, I hastily glance over at Aragorn, and he nods.

"It's a rather long story." I say quietly, and Legolas nods.

"We have time." We walk inside and lay our weapons on a table. Aragorn excuses himself, and then Legolas and I sit down and I begin my tale, leaving out the vision I had of him. When I finish, I expect him to look at me like I'm crazy, and not believe me. Instead, he nods and looks at me with a newfound respect. He actually believes me.

"Well then, might I ask the same of you?" He nods slowly, as if pondering what to tell me.

"Such a tale deserves one of equal truth and honesty. I am the son of Thranduil, King of Mirkwood. The elves that live there are the Silvan elves, or wood-elves to most. But I am a Sindar, or Gray Elf." He tells me about his family, where he's from, and the Mirkwood. After all that, I have only one thing to say.

"Wait, so, you're a prince?" I can't believe it, I've always heard stories about fearless Princes and Kings going on quests, or adventures, or leading the way into battle. Everything I've ever dreamed of is here, and it's real. Legolas nods, smiling at my surprise. I rub my head, trying to take it all in. I guess it's rather fitting that he's a prince, he definitely looks the part.

When I refocus on him, I see him examining my sword. He reads the engraving on the sheath, and the examines the sword. He mutters something, and I manage to catch part of it with my new Elvin hearing. Something about magic swords and names.

"Do you know the name of this sword?" He asks suddenly, looking up. I shake my head no, and then he tells me.

"On the hilt of the sword, there's a word engraved. Serahvain, which is the Sindarin word for fire." How did I not see that! He hands me the sword, and I examine it. I see the word.

"Serahvain" I say distractedly, and then the sword bursts into flame. I screech and drop the weapon. The fire disappears the second the sword leaves my hands. Legolas stares at the sword, and then stands.

"I think I should go get Gandalf." He says before running off. I stare at the sword, afraid to touch it. My hands aren't burned, thank goodness. Gandalf and Legolas rush in side by side. Gandalf walks over to me and puts a hand on my shoulder.

"My dear girl, I think it's best if you come with me. There's something we must discuss." I look up into his kind old eyes, and feel calmer. I reach down and gingerly pick up the sword. It's cool to the touch, and I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding. I sheath it and then follow Gandalf to the room I first met him in.

"My dear, you are a sorceress."

**Eh, eh? What do you think? If you like it, please review! A big thank you to everyone who reviewed this story. It means a lot to me! I know, I know, no one likes a cliff hanger, and I promise that I will try my hardest to update soon! I love all my awesome readers! Goddess out.**


	3. From Dreams To Nightmares

_Hello there! Thank you all so much! I love writing this story, and apparently, I'm the only one that hates cliff hangers. Anyways, I'd just like to say thanks again, my amazing readers! Sadly, it will be harder for me to update, since my five day weekend is over. Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter!_

**From Dreams To Nightmares**

I stare at Gandalf calmly. I say calmly because my brain hasn't processed what he just said yet. Wait, I've got it now.

"WHAT?!" Now I'm freaked out! I mean, I go from a small town human girl to a freaking Elvin sorceress?! What Black Magic is this?! WITCHCRAFT! I try to calm down, but I just can't wrap my head around it. This is insane.

"Calm yourself." Gandalf looks at me, amusement twinkling in his eyes. I take a deep breath, and close my eyes. I calm down, and open them again. Gandalf nods in approval.

"The battle is half won now." A small smile escapes me. Maybe this won't be so bad. I mean, it would be really cool to be able to do all that awesome stuff that I've read about sorcerers doing. Like throwing fireballs, or summoning huge creatures, or calling massive storms, or hitting people with lightning bolts. I smile, this could indeed be interesting. It's just a lot to take in.

"Now, I've much to teach you, and we don't have too terribly long I'm afraid. I'll teach you the basics, and then I'll teach you more as we travel." I nod. I glance outside; the sun is sinking into the horizon. It's been a long day. As if reading my mind, Gandalf says, "Go and rest. We shall begin your training at dawn. We've much to do tomorrow." I nod, and then stand.

I bow slightly and bid Gandalf farewell. I return to my room, and see a large tray of food sitting on a table. Realizing how hungry I am and how little I've eaten, I rush over to it. There are assorted pastries, fruits and vegetables. I sit down, and soon clear the whole tray. I'll need to remember to thank Nyania for this. Feeling tired and full, I change into night clothes and lay down. I fall asleep almost instantly.

I open my eyes, and see ruins. They are massive, and look like the ruins of a city. How did I get here? I catch a movement to my left out of the corner of my eye. What was that? I turn towards it, and notice I'm not wearing my leather armour. Instead, I'm wearing some kind of light metal armour.

It's so light, I barely notice it. It's plate armour, and has ridges on the sides. My boots are made of the same material, and blend almost seamlessly into the armour. I've got ridged gauntlets on that end near my elbows. The armour is silver, and I've got a dark blue cloak.

I note the movement again, and something crawls from the shadows. I raise my right hand, and say some sort of incantation on instinct. A ball of lightning forms around my hand, and then I launch it towards the creature. It screeches and runs.

I run, not sure where I'm going or what's happening. That's when I see him, Legolas. He's hurt, badly. He's sitting propped up against a wall, a spear lodged deep in his belly. Blood is trickling from his mouth, and his skin is far too pale. I run towards him, and then note another movement. I turn, we're surrounded by Orcs. The ground falls out from underneath my feet, and I hit the ground in a meadow. I look around, and see an elf dressed in all white. She has long blonde hair, and silver eyes. Not gray, but beautiful, shimmering silver. I leap to my feet, ready to fight.

"Do not fear, child. You are safe now." Everything goes black, and I wake up with a cold sweat. I can't get the image of Legolas out of my head. His pale face and glazed eyes. It was just a dream. It was just a dream. I shudder, and Nyania rushes in.

"My lady, are you all right? I heard you screaming… Are you ok?" I nod, unable to speak. I close my, eyes, trying to calm myself. I open them a few moments later.

"Yes, I'm all right. What time is it?" I doubt I'll be able to go back to sleep. The curtains are drawn on the windows so I can't see out, which bothers me slightly.

"It's nearly dawn Lady Elsira." I nod and stand up. I should start getting ready for my training with Gandalf. I change into a simple tunic and pants. I tie my hair up in a bun and have Nyania bring me some breakfast. I finish it quickly and ask Nyania to go ask Gandalf where I should meet him. She walks off, leaving me alone. My thoughts return to my dream and, Legolas…

"My lady, he asked for you to meet him in the library." I nod, and she leads me there. I see Gandalf sitting quietly at a table and reading a tome. It just doesn't seem right to call that massive thing a book. Nyania leaves and I sit down across from Gandalf, unsure of what to do. He closes the book, and looks up at me.

"Are you ready to begin your lesson?" He watches me with calculating eyes. I calmly nod, trying to not worry about messing up and hurting someone. Gandalf will make sure that doesn't happen. He stands, and so do I.

"Then let us begin."

**-Legolas POV-**

I wake with a start, hearing a scream. My blood turns to ice, that was a scream of pain and terror. I sit up, and wonder who could have made that scream. Then it clicks, it was Elsira. That's the only person it could have been.

I'm glad to have woken up though. I haven't had a nightmare that bad in many years. I shudder, trying to forget it. Aragorn, Gimli, Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin were all injured very badly. But then I saw one thing that shook me to the bone. I saw Elsira, hanging by her wrists. There was so much blood, and a gaping hole in her chest. I close my eyes, trying to get the image out of my mind.

Her dead eyes that seemed to plead for release, escape... I shake my head, trying to clear it. It was just a dream. I stand and change into my armour. I grab my bow, quiver and dagger and head to the training field. I lay my dagger down, and shoot arrow after arrow at the targets from varying distances and angles. Each arrow hits near the middle of the target. I empty my quiver, and then collect my arrows.

"Something on your mind Legolas? I never manage to surprise you." I turn, its Aragorn. I unstring my bow and sling it over my shoulder.

"I was just practicing." He raises an eyebrow.

"At dawn before you've even eaten breakfast? Come now Legolas, I'm smarter than that." I sigh, I've known Aragorn for some time, and he's trustworthy. Perhaps it would help to tell someone. I sigh, and tell him the dream that has been assaulting my mind.

**-Elsira POV-**

I feel a severe headache coming on. Its noon, and Gandalf and I have been working relentlessly all morning. I've learned a few minor incantations and some low level spells so far. I've learned some minor healing as well. If only I had a cure for headaches. Well, actually I might. I focus, and a shining ball of light appears in my hand. It spreads, enveloping me in a soft golden light. My head instantly stops hurting. Wow, this is better than Advil! Living in Middle Earth has its advantages.

I sigh contentedly, and then look outside; I can see the training field. I see Legolas and Aragorn, they're discussing something. I leave the library, then walk outside and join them. They stop their conversation, and look at me.

"Lady Elsira, I hear you are a sorceress." Legolas is quick to change the subject of whatever they were discussing. How odd. I nod, suppressing my curiosity for now.

"Indeed I am. It's a lot to take in. To think, I used to just be a normal human." Aragorn looks confused and I realize I never told him. Here we go again. I open my mouth to begin my story, and realize that I've forgotten most of it.

"I don't remember much… It's like my old life is vanishing from my mind." I tell Aragorn what I remember, and he takes it in stride. He too believes me, and for that I am grateful. Legolas is only half listening, a haunted look in his eyes. When I finish my story, he blinks a few times, and looks away. I wonder what's wrong. Perhaps he had a dream like, like mine…

Memories of the dream come rushing back to me, and I see Legolas's face grow pale and his eyes glaze over. I blink and it's gone.

"I've been working hard all morning, and was going to get some lunch. Care to join me?" Aragorn and Legolas nod, and we head towards the kitchen. I'm immediately greeted by wonderful smells. Legolas leads me to a table filled with amazing looking food, the likes of which I've never seen before. I eat some of everything.

"Enjoy this while you can. We're leaving tomorrow." Aragorn says. He's eating slowly, and I suddenly become aware that I was eating ravenously, as if I hadn't eaten in days. Legolas looks at me, amusement twinkling in his eyes. I can tell he's trying not to laugh. I slow down, and savor every bite. I finish eating, and lean back slightly. Gandalf gave me an hour to eat and rest, and that hour is almost up.

"Well, I have a lot of work to do. Farewell." And with that I reluctantly stand and take my leave. I head back to the library, where I see Gandalf waiting for me. It makes me wonder if he ever left. He looks up from his tome, and then stands. He picks up his staff.

"You'll need something equivalent to this staff. Your sword should suffice, swords are generally used by battle sorceresses,." I notice my sword propped up against the table. How did he get that? I sigh, knowing better than to question Gandalf. I see him smile, as if he knew what I was thinking.

"Now, let's begin."

**-Legolas POV-**

Elsira walks away, leaving Aragorn and I. Frodo walks into the dining hall, and Aragorn beckons him over. Frodo walks quietly over, and sits down with us. He smiles at us, and he seems genuinely happy, despite the quest that looms over us. He grabs an apple and takes a large bite of it.

"Thank you… For volunteering to come with me." Aragorn smiles at the little guy, and I nod in acknowledgement. He seems almost childlike in his behavior; I can't help but feel protective of the little guy. He's risking his life to take a ring to the most dangerous place in Middle Earth so that it can be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom. He is braver than many seasoned warriors, perhaps even more so than me. We shall see.

**-I hate time skips, but I felt this one was kind of needed. So, Time skip! Elsira POV-**

I wake with a start, a hand over my mouth. I look around frantically, but it's dark. I can see the general shape of my attacker, but nothing more. I kick out at them, and they take their hand off my mouth. I leap up, and can see just enough to notice that their hands are up by their sides, the universal gesture of peace. My eyes narrow.

"Who the heck are you and what are you doing breaking into my room at this ungodly hour?" I hiss angrily through gritted teeth. I murmur an incantation and a ball of light shines in my palm, illuminating the room. It's a male elf. His hair is as dark as the shadows of twilight, and his eyes are a deep ocean blue.

"Calm down friend, I'm here to help you. Without my help, you shall die." I can tell by the look in his eyes he means what he says, although it's his sanity I doubt, not his seriousness.

"Explain yourself, now." This guy could be crazy, or he could know something important and possibly life saving. I can't take that chance. If he has something important to say, I need to know it.

"When light fails, and hope is lost, the silver moon shall light your path." What nonsense is this? Light can't just fail. And if it does, Gandalf or I could simply summon one. In my mind, I see a glowing crescent moon. The man holds a silver moon pendant out to me. It's a crescent moon and it appears to have some sort of runes on it, but they aren't like anything I've ever seen before.

"When you wear this, the Ring will not have any hold on you." I take the pendant and examine it as well as I can in the magical light. I look up to question the elf further, but he's gone. I look around, and then hear the door creak open. I look at it, only to see Nyania entering the room.

"Lady Elsira, Aragorn sent me to fetch you. It shall be dawn in less than an hour, and he has something he would like to discuss with you before we leave." I nod and throw on a simple dress, slipping the pendant into a hidden pocket before following Nyania to Aragorn's room. It's similar to mine, but larger and more decorated. Aragorn is sitting in a chair quietly, looking out the window at the predawn sky. Tinges of orange and pink have crept onto the horizon, and the sky is dark blue.

"Lady Elsira, you have learned a bit of magic along with your swordplay and archery, yes?" I nod, wondering where he could possibly be going with this.

"Indeed I have, though my knowledge is limited to say the least." He nods thoughtfully. He turns towards me and stands.

"I have sworn to protect Frodo with my life, and I shall do just that. But I'm afraid I can't always stay right with him. Elsira, can you protect him as well?" His tone is solemn and his face more serious than I've ever seen it. He doesn't seem to be asking me to do this just to stay out of the way, but more to protect Frodo, lest the ring fall into Sauron's hands.

"I shall protect him, this I swear." I say gravely. I will stay within earshot or closer to him at all times while we travel because without him, our quest is meaningless. It must be a hard burden to bear, carrying the fate of the world in your hands. I can't even imagine what that's like. He seems so happy and innocent though, as if shielded from all the evil in the world. Yes, I will try to protect him.

As I turn to leave, I feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn, and look Aragorn in the eyes. I feel like a child, and glance away, fearing he will see my self-doubt. In truth, I feel like I will just let everyone down. I have no real combat experience, and I feel like all I will really accomplish is cutting my life short.

"You have come here from another world, and yet you risk your life to protect someone you just met instead of trying to get back home. Such astounding acts of compassion are rare, and I would like to thank you for what you have done and will do. Most people would turn tail and run, and many brave warriors would turn down a place amongst the Fellowship. You have shown much strength and courage already, do not worry about letting us down, you have already proven yourself." I smile, and instantly feel better. Aragorn has a way with words, no wonder he's a leader. I take my leave then, and return to my room. I open the curtains and peer out at the dawn sky.

The top of the sun is just barely above the horizon, setting the sky ablaze in a gorgeous array of colors. Each color is bright and pure, from gold to pink and every color in between. I leave my room on impulse and go outside, feeling compelled to see the sunrise in all its fiery glory. I step onto the soft grass, enjoying the feel of it under my feet. All around me there is hope and life.

Flowers are just beginning to bloom, turning the ground so many bright and soft colors. The trees are covered in new buds and young leaves, marking the onset of spring. The cool wind and pristine, clear air are unlike anything I've ever felt before. I look around, reveling in the sounds of the forest. How can the city have so much forest? The thought slips from my mind as I spot a morning glory beginning to open up. I walk over to the little flower and watch as it unfolds from something small and pale to something truly beautiful.

"I see you are discovering what it means to be an elf." Lord Elrond walks towards me, as quiet as a shadow. I note the brief glance to his right and left as he scans the area. This man or, elf rather, has seen war. Few others would be so cautious in their own home surrounded by such incredible beauty. His eyes shift back to me.

"To an elf, nothing is more beautiful than the world around us. While you are on this quest, have Legolas teach you our ways. If you return, you shall always have a place among us." I smile. Such kind words and hope from such a tired and weary soul. But I can't help but shiver when he says, if.

"Thank you, Lord Elrond. I appreciate everything you have done for me during my stay here, and I would like to take this chance to thank you one final time before I leave." A faint smile plays at the corners of his lips. I head back to my room and change into my leather armour, placing the pendant around my neck and tucking it into my armour. I gather my weapons, sheathing my sword on my left hip and slinging my bow over my shoulder to rest lightly beside my quiver.

I walk to the dining hall and notice that I'm the last one there. I see the hobbits all gathered around a table, and Gandalf, Aragorn and Boromir gathered around another. Gimli is sitting with a few other dwarves, and Legolas is alone. I walk over and sit by him.

"Why are you alone?" Pretty blunt, but hey, it gets my point across very well. He looks up unfazed, he definitely heard me coming. But then again I made no effort to prevent him from hearing me.

"I simply am. Unlike many of the others, I welcome company but do not seek it out." Interesting, I pictured him as more the "join the crowd" type honestly. Well, I haven't really seen much of him, so I don't have much to go on. Although, soon I'll be seeing a lot more of Legolas. Gandalf, Aragorn and Boromir stand.

"Members of the Fellowship of the Ring, the time has come to leave Rivendell." The rest of us stand and we all leave the dining hall. We say our goodbyes and leave the town. Soon, it is but a figure in the distance.

Our quest has begun.

**Thanks to all my awesome reviewers! I've been working hard on chapters to try and maintain a steady update pace. Every three or four days I plan to update. Although sometimes it may be a bit more. It's a bit tricky with school and such, but I will try my hardest! Thanks again! Goddess out.**


	4. Walking The Line

_Salutations my lovely readers! This chapter is going to be a bit different from the rest and it actually wasn't in the movie. It has a deep conversation and an explanation. Also, after the initial offshoot, it gets back on track, so fear not my dear readers! By the way, round of applause for Scylla's revenge. You all owe her for the explanation of Elsira and her pulling away from a Mary Sue course. Thank you Scylla, I owe ya one ;)_

Walking The Line

As we walk, I hear a faint growl. I turn, and notice that Legolas and Aragorn heard it as well. We all look at each other and nod and then the three of us lag behind a bit, conversing quietly.

"What was that?" I say quietly. Legolas looks around, his keen eyes and ears noting every movement and every sound. We hear it again, and I can't help the slight tremor that runs through me. It's a deep growl, one of a hunter stalking its unsuspecting prey. I glance around, and see two huge golden eyes staring at me from the shadows. I watch as a massive wolf steps from the shadows, and then a few more. There are six of the massive beasts; their color's ranging from brown to black.

I yelp and fall back away from them. I've never fought anything that size. The rest of the group has stopped up ahead, and are walking slowly back towards us, trying not to alert the wolves to their presence. I grab my bow off my shoulder, and notice that Legolas and Aragorn already have arrows notched. I notch one as well, and the wolves drop into a hunting crouch. I step back, and its eyes narrow, as if it can sense my fear.

I hear the slight twang of a bowstring and two arrows lodge themselves deeply in the first wolf, and I shoot the one directly to his left. The first wolf falls over, dead, as the one on its left recoils, the arrow in its shoulder. The wolves are about 20 feet from us, and then they charge. Boromir steps forwards, having reached us. He takes on one of the massive beasts all by himself. It leaps at him and he dives out of the way, stabbing the beast in the side as he does, leaving a long slash on its side.

I watch a wolf leave the main group and head towards the hobbits and Gandalf. I draw my bow and fire, hitting the wolf in the flank. It turns towards me, and I shoot it again, this time in the neck. It cries out in pain, and closes in on me. I drop my bow and draw my sword.

"Serahvain" I cry, and it burst into flame. The wolf stops and circles me, watching the flame. I try to remain calm, but this isn't like hunting back home. This is fighting, and these things can kill me. I notice another peel off from the main group, heading towards the hobbits. I have to stop it.

The wolf seems to have notice my distraction and lunges, fangs bared. It crashes into me, knocking me down, but I hold onto my sword. It's in my right hand, and with a sudden jerk I manage to twist my arm and roll slightly, impaling the wolf, my own added weight helping. It pierces the beast's heart, and I shove it off me. I stand, and look towards the hobbits. The wolf that was charging them lies on the ground, its fur blackened and its corpse charred. Gandalf must have dealt with it.

I look around, and there's only one left. Wow, I guess I'm really slow when it comes to dealing with things… I sling my bow over my shoulder and wonder how to stop the flames on my sword. Perhaps there's another word? I examine the sword, trying to figure it out. Gandalf approaches me, noticing my struggle.

"Tiarvan." The flame vanishes.

"The Elvin word for stop." He explains patiently. I clean Serahvain and then sheath it, thanking Gandalf. I feel completely useless. I can't even work a simple magic sword! The group gathers together to assess any damage, and everyone's uninjured. We press on silently, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

What if I really am just a simple human girl trapped in someone else's body? This isn't me; I'm Elsira Marsonna, the human girl who owns a book store in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. Not some Elvin sorceress meant for some crazy adventure! Memories of my old life return slightly as I think of who I really am, and I suddenly long for the warm fire, hot chocolate and simplicity of life. Maybe I'm really not meant for this, and I was supposed to just read stories and watch movies.

**-Very short time skip!-**

I sit and stare into the fire, still unsure of myself. I can remember a bit more of my past now, but not much. Everyone but Legolas is asleep, and he's on watch. I watch the dying flame, the embers still trying to burn, refusing to die.

"What troubles you Elsira?" Legolas sits down beside me. I don't look at him; I just stare into the fire.

"I don't think I belong here, in this world I mean. A week ago, I was a simple girl with a simple life. I owned a book store, and I was happy." I look up at him, and have to remind myself to breathe. His skin looks pale and perfect in the moonlight, and his hair looks like silver. His eyes shine, reflecting the pale light in a beautiful way, and I forget what I was going to say. The moonlight turns Legolas from breathtaking, to truly heart stopping. He is a prince, there's no doubt in my mind.

I suddenly have the urge to reach out and touch him, just to make sure he's real. I want to run my fingers through his hair, and see if it's as soft as it looks. I try to focus on what was so important a minute ago, but I can't seem to. He seems oblivious to my awe, and has a sympathetic look in his eyes.

"Are you saying you aren't happy here, and that you wish to return home?" He sounds, almost sad.

"No, I just feel like I'm not helping. When we fought those wolves today, I was scared. I barely managed to kill one, and it leaped on me. I was practically useless." My voice is quiet, and everything I felt before comes rushing back with perfect clarity.

"Elsira, you have never been here before. You haven't fought anything that size, you have very little experience, and yet you still managed to kill one. You have never seen anything like that before, and you held your own. You hit a moving target multiple times with your bow, and while you didn't kill it, you helped. Don't underestimate yourself. But I get the feeling it's not just about fighting." My eyes return to the dying flames.

"Legolas, I don't belong here. I grew up a human. Not an Elvin sorceress. Up until a few days ago, none of this even existed to me. It was nothing more than stories, old fishwife tales to keep little children entertained. I'm not even sure who I am anymore…" I trail off, finding it hard to breath past the sudden lump in my throat. My face feels hot, and my vision becomes blurred by tears.

A warm hand envelops my own, and I look up, fighting back the tears that threaten to fall. I blink them back, and suck in a strangled breath. I don't want to cry in front of Legolas. After all this, I don't want him to think that I'm just a little girl who cries about her problems. His eyes soften.

"You are whoever you chose to be. You came here for a reason, and while you may not know what it is, I promise you that you are meant to be here. I don't know why you became an elf, or why you came here, but you belong. I can see it in your eyes. You don't want a simple life, do you? You want adventure, friendship, danger, and perhaps even love. Elsira, you belong here. You have always belonged here." His voice is soft and quiet. I smile, feeling a bit better now, though I still have a bit of bitterness in my heart pertaining to me being a sorceress. I'm ok with the elf thing, but I don't want to be a sorceress. It's just too much.

"Thank you Legolas, I mean it." I smile before standing and leaving the fire. I find a comfy little secluded spot and lay down. Within minutes, my eyes drift shut and sleep claims me.

I open my eyes and take in my surroundings. I'm on the edge of a cliff overlooking the sea, and I'm me. Normal, human me. I instantly notice how much better I could see as an elf, and how much better my hearing was. I smile despite that, feeling better now that I'm back to the way I was before all of this.

I look around, and then see the new me. She's wearing the armour from before, and the sun is setting behind her. The sunset is setting her golden hair on fire. There are slight differences in our features; it's not just her hair and ears that are different. She eyes me, a slight frown on her face.

"This is who they have chosen to avenge me? Tell me mortal, what is your name?" Her voice is cold, and sends shivers up my spine. I feel like she's looking through me.

"My name is Elsira… Who are you?" I speak quietly, and her eyes narrow.

"I am Reavardian, an ancient guardian of the Tower of Sorcery. Though the tower is long gone now, and has been forgotten by all the races many years ago. I was slain by Sauron. He is an older and more powerful creature than you might think. You have been chosen to avenge me, though I don't know why they chose someone from another world." Her tone is cutting, and I can't help but feel weak and useless.

"You know perfectly well why Reavardian! You started out in a similar way. You were an orphan with a love for adventure. You happened to be in the right place at the right time, that's all. She is not so unlike you. She's a lot like you actually, in the way you look, act and think." I turn to see the elf dressed in white. I remember her from before; she took me out of that nightmare, and into the meadow. Reavardian rolls her eyes, and if I were her I probably would too. Then she smiles at me.

"It's good to see a kindred spirit in these times. I meant no offence to you, it was merely a test. You will need all your strength for what is to come. You must not let the ring fall into Sauron's hands. Understood?" Her tone goes from upbeat to grim and serious in a heartbeat. Perhaps she is like me; I've been known to do such things before.

"But why me? Why am I here?" The question has been nagging at me for a long time, and I want some answers. I'm sick of feeling like a mistake, like I just came here by accident. If there's a purpose to my being here, I'd love to know what it is.

"You have been chosen to avenge Reavardian by helping to destroy the Ring. You were chosen because of who you are. You are strong, smart, resourceful, vigilant, trustworthy and responsible. You can handle a blade and bow, and have adventure in your heart. I have watched you for a long time, waiting for this day to come. We chose someone from your world because you haven't been raised here. You don't know our tales and heroes, you don't think like we do." The woman in white finished. Reavardian watches the sunset, a frown on her face.

"But why am I you?" I ask, and Reavardian turns towards me.

"You aren't me; you are what you need to be. You could have been any race; your race depended on your heart, not what I was. You and I are alike, but different too. You look like me, because we want to remind the world of who I was." Reavardian says, and then her eyes return to the sun.

"Dawn approaches, you must leave soon." The elf in white nods and the world around me starts to fade a bit. I hear someone call my name, and my eyes open. Pippin is standing over me, going on about breakfast. I sigh; I have so many questions I didn't get to ask. But now I know I have a purpose. Legolas was right, and I can't help but smile.

"That's the spirit! Now, let's go eat!" Pippin cries joyfully, enthused by the prospect of a hot meal. He must think I was smiling over something he said. I stand up and stretch. Pippin runs off and I don my armour. I follow the exited little hobbit, and smell food. Up ahead I see the fire, and also see the fellowship gathered around it. Gimli is grumbling about something and I can't help but grin.

"Finally! Aragorn was going on about waiting for you out of courtesy. So we made the food, ate it, and didn't leave without you. So eat up and let's go." I shake my head, and grab what remains of breakfast. There's some sausage, a bit of bread and an apple. I eat quickly and we set out.

I can't get my dream out of my head. Despite what they said, I still feel as though it should have been someone else. My memories are fading once more. I feel like I'm grabbing at sand while it slips through my fingers. I just can't hold on. And now I'm supposed to avenge some elven girl I don't even know! I sigh, there's not much I can do apart from just sucking it up and moving on. I'll try, that's all I can do.

**-Time Skip- **

After a long and uneventful day of travel, Sam, Frodo, Gimli, Legolas, Gandalf and I sit around a campfire. Its mid afternoon, and Boromir and Aragorn are trying to teach Merry and Pippin some swordplay. Off to the side, I hear Gandalf and Gimli conversing quietly. I catch small snippets. They are talking about the Mines of Moria, and Gandalf is clearly against it. Gandalf drops the conversation abruptly and walks away.

I watch as Boromir thrusts forwards with his blade, catching Pippin in the hand. Pippin looks outraged, and throws his sword down.

"You'll pay for that! For the Shire!" Pippin leaps on Boromir and tackles him, hitting and kicking him. Merry joins in, helping Pippin here and there. Everyone but Legolas, Gimli and Gandalf laugh at the display. Legolas's eyes are fixed on a wispy black cloud. It's fast moving and erratic, not moving like any cloud I've ever seen before.

"What is that?" Asks Sam, noting Legolas and my stares. Boromir's eyes narrow.

"Nothing… It's just a wisp of cloud." Gimli says unconvincingly. I catch occasional flashes of individual movement. The pattern looks vaguely familiar.

"It's moving fast… Against the wind." Boromir sounds as worried as he looks. Ah! I remember what they remind me of! I remember seeing a huge group of sparrows doing something similar to this. But this is more organized and a smaller group.

"Crebain from Dunland!" Legolas cries. Aragorn yells "hide" and we all scramble for cover. I dive into a bush, and feel something warm pressed up against me. I turn towards it, and notice that I'm alarmingly close to Legolas. In fact, I'm practically laying on him. I'm about to move away, when he wraps an arm around my waist, holding me firmly in place. I breathe in, trying to remain calm.

He smells amazing, like the forest and something else I can't name. I take a deep breath, this time to try and place the smell. Its bitter sweet and I love it. I try not to smile at how close we are, and just lay there while we wait for the birds to leave.

After a while, I poke my head out and see the birds receding in the distance. I sit up, and Legolas lets me go. I can't help but wish he hadn't, I liked being close to him. Back in the other world, I hated being close to people, I had to have my personal space. Now I come here and enjoy being close to some elf I barely know? It's not as if I like him like that. In my old life, I wasn't very affectionate and had been single for a long time. Maybe this is your chance, whispers a treacherous little voice in my head.

Legolas leaps agilely to his feet, and then reaches down, offering to help me up. I take his hand, and he pulls me up, standing once again, closer than is really necessary. My heart's racing and my stomach does a little flip. Must be vertigo or something. He grins slightly, and I swear it's because he heard my heart. I look away, a blush coloring my cheeks. I start walking back to the campfire, and will my face to return to normal. Everyone else is already there.

"Spies of Saruman. The passage south is being watched… We must take the pass of Carahdras!" He says, gesturing towards a mountain path. Gimli glowers at Gandalf, who takes the glare in stride.

"No sense standing about then. We might as well just get this over with." I say, trying to diffuse the tension. Sadly, it didn't work. I sigh, here we go again.

**-Time Skip-**

As we climb the mountain, I can't help but enjoy the frigid air and height. Legolas seems particularly happy as well. And while our other, heavier companions trudge through the snow, Legolas and I walk lightly atop it.

Frodo stumbles and falls, rolling back down until he's stopped by Aragorn. His hand goes to his neck, and the ring's gone. He panics and then spots it a few feet away. I watch as Boromir bends to retrieve it.

"Such a small thing…" I can almost feel the Ring's hold on him, and glance over at Legolas, who nods. He can sense it as well.

"Boromir…" Aragorn's voice is cautious and questioning. Boromir remains entranced.

"Such a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over such a small thing… Such a little thing." He trails off, his eyes never leaving the ring. Aragorn pauses, contemplating.

"Boromir, give the ring back to Frodo." His voice is quiet. Boromir tenses, and watches the ring for a long time. Then he looks up at Frodo. He hands Frodo the ring.

"As you wish, I care not." His words fool no one, and I instantly think of the pendant. Perhaps the pendant can help Boromir. When we continue walking, I slip the pendant out of my pocket. I catch his eye, and silently ask him to walk with me. He reluctantly accepts.

"What do you want?" He asks briskly, and I can tell he's not in the mood to talk. I show him the pendant.

"I saw how you looked at the ring. This pendant should block the ring's influence on you. With it on, the ring shouldn't be able to affect you at all." He eyes it for a moment, and then grudgingly takes it, muttering about not needing it. As he walks away, I note with a hint of satisfaction that he puts it on. Hopefully it'll do him some good.

We keep walking, and as we pass under a large snowy overhang, I hear a faint voice. I look up, trying to figure out where it came from. I realize that the wind must have carried it, but from where?

"There is a fell voice in the air." Legolas says urgently. Ah ha! So that's what that was! Judging by everyone's reaction, that's not good.

"It's Saruman." Gandalf says, irritation in his voice. He must have some serious stuff on this, Saruman guy. I hear a rumble, and snow and rock starts to fall.

"He's trying to bring down the mountain. Gandalf! We must turn back!" Aragorn cries, urgency in his voice. He's right; we can't stay here like this.

"NO!" Gandalf yells. He raises his staff and chants into the wind. The mountain rumbles once more, sending more rock and snow cascading down the mountain. I hear the voice clearly now, and know that it's Saruman's. Huge black clouds form overhead, and then lightning strikes the mountain. Boromir pulls Gandalf to safety, and Aragorn shields Frodo and Sam. Legolas pulls me back against the cliff face, and snow crashes down all around us.

I close my eyes tight, afraid to open them for fear of what I'll see. I feel a light touch on my shoulder, and peek out. Legolas and I are ok. I look around, and see Frodo, Sam, Gandalf and Gimli standing to the side, while Boromir and Aragorn dig through the snow, trying to find the hobbits. They pull them out, and the hobbits are shivering and terrified. We all gather, reassessing our current course.

"We must get off the mountain! Make for the gap of Rohan and take the west road to my city." Boromir says animatedly. He seems more upbeat and positive than before, and I can't help but assume it's the pendant. Perhaps I may have finally done the Fellowship some good. I smile distractedly at the thought, and then refocus on the conversation.

"The gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard." Aragorn replies solemnly. Boromir frowns a bit at that.

"We cannot pass over the mountain. Let us go under it. Let us go through the mines of Moria." Gimli suggests hopefully. Gandalf looks concerned, and I wince at the mere mention of it. I've always been a bit claustrophobic. The thought of having a few tons of rock sitting right over my head just doesn't please me in any way.

"Let the ring bearer decide." Gandalf says firmly. I glance towards Frodo, who looks concerned. I can tell he doesn't like making such decisions. He looks at Pippin and Merry, who are shivering violently in Boromir and Aragorn's arms. He looks back over at Gandalf, weighing his possibilities.

"Frodo?" Gandalf asks quietly, seeming to already know the answer.

"We will go through the mines." Frodo says quietly. Gimli immediately perks up. Gandalf nods wearily.

"So be it."

**SOOOO! I hope you all liked it! I know I sure enjoyed writing it! Before long, I'm going to be going away on a lovely, one week vacation! Yay me! Sadly, that means I cannot update. Lucky for us all, I have three weeks before I'm leaving. But three weeks from today, I'll be chilling on a beach in Cancun! And lastly, thank you to my lovely reviewers! Goddess out.**


	5. Into The Dark

_Thank you my lovely reviewers! I know this chapter took a bit longer to write than the others, but I've been very busy. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter! The Mines of Moria was always one of my favorite places during the story for some reason that even I don't really know. Also, the Hobbit is coming out soon! MEGA YAY! I don't know about you all but that is my TOP PRIORITY MOVIE! So, I hope you enjoy this lovely little doom-and-gloom place. :P_

Into The Dark

We walk along the shores of a lake, the sun having gone down mere minutes ago. Great looming cliffs tower over us in a strong and solitary way. Gimli stares at them in awe.

"The walls of Moria." His voice reflects his face, and I can't help but agree. Despite the fact that within those walls is a cavern cave thing that I am less than thrilled to be entering. We approach the wall, and Gandalf reaches out, his fingers brushing the stone. Veins of silvery light appear, and slowly become bolder and brighter. I cannot help the tremor that runs through me; it's almost as if the stone is alive.

"Itidin… It mirrors only starlight and moonlight." Gandalf says. We wait, and watch as an arch of interlocking symbol and letters appear. I marvel at the beauty of the design, as do the others.

"It reads, the door of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak friend and enter." Gandalf says after a brief glance at the door. The symbols appear to be elvish from what little I've seen of it, but they make no sense to me. Gandalf is old and wise though, it seems fitting that he should know. Merry pipes up.

"What do you suppose that means?" He asks in a curious and mischievous voice. He obviously wants to get in to explore Moria. I agree to some extent, while I don't like being trapped in stone, I am very impressed, and want to see what lies beyond the doors.

Gandalf raises his arms and says some sort of incantation. We all wait with baited breath and, nothing happens. Gandalf tries spell after spell to no avail, and we all just wander a bit. Aragorn unsaddles Sam's pony Bill.

I watch as Aragorn whispers something to Sam, and Sam's face falls. I feel bad for the little guy; Sam obviously cared a great deal for Bill.

"Go on, Bill… Go on. Don't worry Sam, Bill knows his way home." As Sam whispers his final goodbyes to Bill, I can't help but feel deeply sad. I feel as though that goodbye meant so much more than just saying goodbye to a pony. I feel as though that goodbye was some sort of final farewell.

I turn to see Merry and Pippin throwing stones into the water. Each ripple blossoms and dies slowly, as if lingering. As Pippin is about to throw another stone, Aragorn catches his arm.

"Do not disturb the water." He says, his voice ominous. Pippin drops the stone, and Merry does the same. The ripples seem to grow and extend slightly, and I shiver. Boromir and Aragorn exchange glances, and I step away from the water's edge.

"It's a riddle." Frodo says quietly. All eyes turn to him, and it dawns on me. I look up at the symbols and can understand them. I see the words Gandalf mentioned, and try to figure out the riddle. Speak friend and enter. Friend. It's written in elvish…

"Mellon" I say quietly, lost in thought. That's the elvish word for friend. Suddenly, the rock face splits silently down the middle, and two great doors swing open. All eyes turn to me. I shrug and look away. I glance towards the lake, and notice the shift in the ripples. They are moving. I step forwards into the inky blackness. Anything to escape whatever it is that lurks below the surface of the lake. The others follow me into the gloom, and I try to recall a spell of light.

"So, Legolas and Elsira, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the dwarves; roaring fire, malt beer, red meat off the bone. This, my friends, is the home of my cousin, Balin. And they call this a Mine. A mine!" He snorts derisively, obviously aggravated that someone would call it such a terrible injustice.

Before I can cast the spell, Gandalf lights up his staff. I look around, and leap back in terror. All around us lay the corpses of dwarves. Rusted weapons and shields lie all around us, and I feel sick.

"This is no mine, it's a tomb…" Boromir says, his words echoing off the walls. Gimli looks stricken.

"No… no, no, no!" He cries, despair laced through his voice. He looks around at the corpses, and I can't help but wonder how many of them he knew, how many were his friends or even kin. Legolas crouches next to a corpse and pulls out an arrow. He examines it.

"Goblins!" We all draw our weapons and get back to the entrance. The sick feeling recedes the further away from the bodies I get, and I feel a bit better.

"We make for the gap of Rohan. We never should have come here." Boromir says quietly. At first I mistake his tone for contempt, but then I realize he feels bad. He's imaging his own people lying dead, and my respect for him grows.

Frodo yelps as he is yanked to the ground by a sinewy tentacle. It drags him towards the lake, and all at once everyone reacts. Aragorn and Boromir rush forward. Aragorn severs the tentacle and pulls Frodo to safety. Boromir attacks the other writhing tentacles, and then many more rise from the lake. A hideous monster rises from the lake, and I feel all the blood drain from my face.

Another tentacle grabs Frodo and snatches him into the air. He dangles above the beast, and once again Aragorn rushes to his rescue. He leaps up and cuts the tentacle, and Frodo falls into Boromir's arms.

"Into the mines!" Gandalf yells. We all start towards the mine entrance.

"Legolas!" Cries Boromir. Legolas shoots the beast in its massive, gaping maw, giving Aragorn and Boromir a few precious moments to get to the door. We rush in, and the creature rises up. It grabs the doors and rips them free of the wall. That creates a rock slide, and soon rocks seal the door, our exit. Everything goes dark. Gandalf's staff lights up once more, bathing us all in a ghostly light.

"We have but one choice… We must face the long dark of Moria. Be on your guard… There are older and fouler things than Orcs in the deep places of the world." He says ominously. I feel as though the walls are collapsing. I look around, desperate for any sort of light other than the pale and sickly light of Gandalf's staff.

I feel a hand on my shoulder and turn towards it. It's Legolas. His eyes portray his empathy, he understands my fear. I hug him tightly, taking him by surprise. He wraps his arms around me and he whispers to me in Elvin. I know not what he says, but the words comfort me. I look up at him, and thank him silently. He nods and I step back, following the others into this abysmal place of death.

We walk quietly, and I can't help but wince at every noise. It sounds so loud, and seems to echo off the walls forever. I shiver, feeling eyes on me, yet there are none. I can't shake the feeling that we are being observed, and as we come to a narrow bridge overlooking the depths of the mine, the feeling intensifies.

"Quietly, now. It's a four day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence will go unnoticed." Gandalf's words are no more than a whisper, but they sound like a shout to me. I hear mumbling coming from somewhere, probably some deep hole filled with vile creatures. I shudder, and we cross the bridge. I note the slight movement of a shadow, and shiver once more. Perhaps it is my imagination, but then again, perhaps not.

We walk through some sort of dwarven cemetery, but all the skeletons are unearthed and staring at us with the hollows where their eyes should be. We pass through quickly, walking a bit faster than before. I'm trying not to run, but the panic inside of me is building.

We leave that place behind, and up ahead the tunnel intersects. There are three different caves.

"I have no memory of this place." Gandalf says slowly. Gandalf sits down and just looks at them. Please don't let us be lost, please. Whatever God or Goddess or whatever is listening, please! Legolas pulls me aside.

"Calm yourself Elsira. Seeing you like this is only worrying the Hobbits. They don't know that you aren't from here, and they think you have gone on adventures like this before." I nod, feeling ashamed of myself. None of the others are freaking out, why should I? But I cannot help the fear that's building inside of me.

"Legolas, I can't stay in here. This place, it's not right! The stone is so deathly silent and it's all around me. Maybe this is great for dwarves, but not for me. I miss the fresh air, the warmth of the sun, the sounds of the forest, the smells of the trees and flowers. Surely you do as well." I speak as quietly as I can, as not to be heard by the others. I can barely hear myself, but Legolas's hearing is so acute, he hears me as well. His eyes are once more sympathetic.

"Yes, I do miss it. But this quest is more important than anything I like or don't like. If we don't get the ring to Mordor, then everything could be destroyed." His voice is as quiet as mine, and I once more realize the gravity of this task. I feel like we've been given an impossible task, and the severity of failure is daunting.

"Come now, enough of that. Lord Elrond has instructed me to teach you the ways of our people. Shall we begin?" A smile plays at the corners of his lips, and I try not to think about where we are or what we're doing. I focus on him, and what he's telling me. He starts telling me about the culture of the elves and what they, I mean we, believe in.

"Are we lost?" I hear Pippin ask from behind us. Frodo is looking distractedly at the shadows behind us.

"No. I don't think we are. Shhh, Gandalf's thinking" Merry says quietly. I snicker, as Merry was louder than Pippin.

"Merry!" Pippin says hurriedly I get the feeling that whatever Pippin is saying, it's at least somewhat urgent.

"What?" Merry's tone is more aggravated than anything. I figure he's been around Pippin long enough to get a general idea about what's going to come out of his mouth next.

"I'm hungry." I laugh and Merry slaps Pippin on the back of his head. Frodo converses quietly with Gandalf. I stand up, as does Legolas. We rejoin the group and I can't help but pity Gimli. He looks so sad, and hasn't smiled much as of late. I walk over to him, Legolas staying behind and standing around idly.

"Gimli, are you all right?" He looks up, and I instantly regret my words. He's not, and we both know it. There was no point in me asking.

"My kin lie slaughtered in their own home, their once great palace now a dark stone tomb. Every single one and you ask if I'm all right? We Dwarves may not live forever, but our lives are full of hard work and fun. Dwarves everywhere tell tales of the great and mighty Moria. Now there's nothing to tell. I guess you elves wouldn't know of such things. All you ever seem to do is sing and dance and play. Do not ask me questions if you only intend to mock me. Dwarves and Elves remain separate for a reason." His voice is filled with anger, and I recoil slightly. Then I'm just angry.

"Gimli, I asked a question. It may have been stupid, but it was not mocking. Do you think that I am not affected by the dead that lie everywhere? This place sickens me, and not because it is stone. I am not even truly an elf, Gimli. I came from another world, and I haven't seen a dead body until I came here! I've never killed anything, never fought, I wasn't even an elf. Where I'm from, people live to be about 70! We don't have forever either. Where I'm from, there is no magic; there are no elves, dwarves, hobbits or goblins! None of this existed to me until shortly before I left to go on this quest with you! I may not have ever had anything this bad happen to me, but not long after I turned 20, my parents died in a fire. Sure, that's nothing compared to this, but I have felt loss, and I lost those that were very near and dear to me. Do not assume I am something because I look like it, I am more than I appear to be." I say heatedly. I retain enough sense to speak in hushed tones so that the others do not hear though. Gimli looks surprised, as well he should. He stutters a moment before I turn on my heel and storm off.

I'm furious, and in no mood to talk to anyone. I hated Earth because people take one look at you and think they know you. They judged others by their clothes, shoes and hair instead of by their actions, words and heart. I am more than just another elf! I am more than just another simple girl! I am I person with a heart than beats and bones that break. Yet throughout my life people tested that.

When I was younger I was always tall for my age, so I stood out. I was also a big fan of fantasy, and I didn't use vulgar obscenities, nor did I laugh at others when they were alienated by the cruelty of others, thus I stood out even more. I always was reading, writing or drawing. People called me a freak because I didn't talk and think as they did. Everyone was expected to bend to fit the norms of society, when those norms break individuality! I never wore expensive clothes or shoes; I always wore what was comfortable and what I liked. I didn't believe that the world revolved around me, and I respected my elders, even if I did not agree with them.

My life has not been an easy one. I didn't have a lot of money to do as I pleased. If I wanted an education, I had to keep my grades up in hopes of a scholarship. And I did! I majored in English and had a master's degree in Journalism. I wasn't handed anything in life, and I had to work hard since I was 16. I always had a summer job to help support my family and occasionally buy things for myself. So I refuse to come here just to have some Dwarf I barely even know tell me my life has been easy!

"Ah! It's that way!" Gandalf says excitedly. He stands up and we all gather our things. I'm still very angry, but I hide it as not to worry the others. I learned how to hide my pain after my parents died.

"He remembers!" Merry says sounding relieved. Pippin grins happily, having eaten a bit of bread while we waited.

"No, but the air doesn't smell so foul down there. If in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose!" We set out in high spirits, except for Gimli and me.

"Let me risk a little more light." Gandalf says. His staff lights up brilliantly for a moment, revealing a massive, long hall with an extremely high ceiling. Frodo gasps at the sight, and the other three hobbits mouths open wide.

"Behold! The great realm and Dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf!" Gandalf says enthusiastically. I've got to hand it to him, for an old man, he sure has a lot of spirit. I smile distractedly. He's a great mentor, and I've learned quite a bit since we first began this journey. He has become a father figure to me.

"Well, there's an eye opener and no mistake!" Sam says happily. I smile a bit at his words, but I'm still rather angry about what Gimli said. I shake those thoughts away. Up ahead, there is a smashed wooden door with two skeletons lying at the entrance. Gimli runs to it.

"Gimli!" Gandalf says. Gimli rushes in, and we've no choice but to follow him. We run into a large open chamber with a few streams of light that were undoubtedly placed where they are. Dwarf and goblin skeletons litter most of the floor, and are piled high. In the middle of the room is a beautifully carved white stone table. Gimli falls to his knees before it and sobs.

"Here lies Balin, son of Fudin, Lord of Moria. He is dead then, it is as I feared." Gandalf carefully lifts a book from the table. It has been slashed, stabbed and covered in dried blood, and it crumbles slightly in Gandalf's hands. Gimli is oblivious. I watch as Legolas murmurs something to Aragorn, who nods.

"They have taken the Bridge and the second hall: we have barred the gates...but cannot hold them for long...the ground shakes...drums in the deep...we cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark. Will no- one save us? They are coming." Gandalf reads from the book. That sounds ominous to say the least, and I pray that whatever it was doesn't know that we're here.

Pippin backs up, nervous. He bumps into a well and sends a skeleton covered in armour tumbling down loudly. Merry grabs him before he falls and pulls him back to safety. Gandalf turns on him angrily, and I shudder, not wanting to be in his place.

"Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!" Gandalf says furiously. As angry as I am at Pippin, I think that's going too far. It could have been any of us that bumped it, and Pippin was just scared. All of a sudden, we all hear a rolling boom coming from below us. It grows louder and louder, coming closer. Then we hear a horn, and then another.

"Mr. Frodo!" Sam points at Frodo's belt, where Sting is glowing blue. Frodo draws the sword, and stares at it. Legolas is the first to recover.

"Orcs!" He says. Aragorn is next. He turns to the Hobbits.

"Get back! Stay close to Gandalf!" He says hastily. Aragorn and Boromir close the door, wedging it shut. Boromir's eyes widen.

"They have a cave troll!" That doesn't sound good. Not at all. I grab my bow off my shoulder. Legolas and I both have our arrows trained on the door. Gimli leaps onto the tomb and draws his axe.

"Let them come! There is one Dwarf left in Moria who still draws breath!" He yells. I feel invigorated by the fierce display of anger, and draw the arrow back a bit further, prepared to release it. With a splintering crash goblins pour into the room through the now broken door. Gimli leaps into the fray, and Legolas and I shoot into the mass, each dropping a goblin. Aragorn and Boromir leap into the fight as well as more Goblins pour into the room. The cave troll lumbers in, swinging a club at Aragorn. Aragorn leaps out of the way, and the cave troll moves on. Goblins approach Legolas and I. I drop my bow and unsheathe my sword, crying out its name.

A goblin lunges at me in a fit of mad rage, and I stab it before it gets close. It falls to the ground dead, and I turn on the others. I cut across at two of them, and one catches fire. It screams and runs around, catching its companion on fire as well. They are consumed by flames as they run around desperately, too stupid to know how to put them out. The cave troll turns towards me, and suddenly I'm charging it.

I run at it, and as it swings its spear down at me I leap to the side. I slide under its legs and hamstring it. I leap to my feet as it howls in pain and turns on me, limping. It swings its spear again and I leap back, then rush back in and stab the troll in the belly. It hits me hard with its left hand, sending my flying as it howls once more in agony. Its skin, though burned, doesn't catch fire. I hit the wall hard and fall to my knees, dazed. I vaguely see it turn on Frodo, and realize I need to do something. I manage to stand and take a staggering step.

"Aragorn!" Frodo shrieks before being lifted off the ground by the tip of the spear and being rammed into the wall. NO! I shake the stars from my vision and run as fast as I can to Frodo's limp body. A goblin dives towards him, and with one quick cut I behead the foul thing. I defend Frodo's body, refusing to let the goblins defile it. I look at the troll, who's missing an arm thanks to Boromir. Everyone is attacking it. Sam is hitting its legs, while Merry and Pippin leap onto it, doing everything they can. Legolas shoots it and it stumbles, falling to the ground, finally dead.

Aragorn rushes over to Frodo who appears to be dead. He suddenly takes a deep breath and his eyes open wide, coughing.

"He's alive!" Sam cries joyfully. I'm too stunned to speak. Frodo takes a few breaths before replying.

"It's all right, I'm not hurt." He says. My eyes are wide, and everyone gathers around him, the last of the goblins slain.

"You should be dead! That spear would heave skewered a wild boar!" Aragorn says, astounded at the small hobbit's survival.

"I think there's more to this hobbit than meets the eye." Gandalf says knowingly. We watch as Frodo opens his shirt to reveal some sort of shimmering silver vest. Gimli's eyes widen and he looks remarkably like a fish out of water.

"Mithril! You are full of surprises, Mister Baggins." He says. We once again hear the drums. They reverberate through the room, and I feel them.

"To the bridge of Khazed-Dum!" Gandalf says. We need no further prompting, and we follow him into another room just as grand as the others. We get about halfway through the chamber when goblins start pouring out of the shadows, crawling down the pillars. We freeze, the number of goblins overwhelming. I glance to my left, and see Legolas beside me, looking hopeless. I reach out and touch his shoulder, and he looks at me with an expression I've never seen before.

Before I can analyze it, a deafening roar resounds through the hallway. A fiery light extends out from a ways away, and the goblins instantly turn tail and return to the dark holes from whence they came.

"What is this new devilry?" Boromir asks, and I feel terror rising inside of me once more.

"A Balrog… A demon of the ancient world! This foe is beyond any of you! Run! Quickly!" We all run as fast as we can, then reach a staircase. We rush down, and then come to a gap. Legolas leaps first as he is least likely to fall. He lands safely and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. I leap next, and Legolas grabs my waist as I land, making sure I don't fall. I step to the side, and the others jump as well. Aragorn tosses the hobbits, and as he is about to toss Gimli, Gimli steps away.

"Nobody tosses a dwarf!" He says before leaping. He lands on the edge and Legolas and I leap forward, grabbing his beard to steady him. We pull him up, and the chunk that Aragorn and Frodo stand on shudders. Aragorn tells Frodo to lean forwards and the stairs fall towards us. They leap onto the rest of the stairs safely, and we continue running.

"Over the bridge! Fly!" Gandalf yells, and we race towards a thin bridge that is undoubtedly very dangerous. We run across it recklessly, but Gandalf stops in the middle, sword in one hand and staff in the other.

"You cannot pass!" He yells, and power radiates from his voice. I leap back towards Gandalf, but Legolas grabs me and pulls me back, holding me tightly.

"Gandalf!" Frodo yells. He too tries to run out, but Aragorn hold him back.

"I am a Servant of the Secret Fire, Wielder of the flame of Anor. The dark fire will not avail you, Flame of Udun! Go back to the shadow!" Gandalf yells. The beast steps up to its full height, wings outstretched. It swings it's sword at Gandalf who blocks it with his own.

"YOU SHALL NOT PASS!" The Balrog steps onto the bridge, and Gandalf cries out. He slams his staff onto the ground with a resounding boom and a flash of white light consumes every shadow hungrily. His staff shatters, and so does the bridge the Balrog is standing on. It's plummets down into the dark abyss. From there, time seems to crawl by ever so slowly.

The Balrog lashes out with his whip as he falls, and as Gandalf turns, it catches his leg, snatching him down. Time seems to stop. He hangs precariously onto the ledge with his fingertips, and Aragorn and Boromir leap towards him.

"Gandalf!" Frodo cries desperately. I can tell by the look in his eyes, Gandalf isn't going to hold on.

"Fly, you fools!" He says before letting go and falling with the beast into the abyss.

"NO!" The words are ripped from me. I feel a great pain within me, another father I have lost. Another person I care about, snatched from me.

Boromir grabs Frodo and we numbly run to the arch, Legolas dragging me along beside him.

We tumble out into the bright sunlight, and tears I'm too numb to feel streak my face. I stumble a few steps before falling to my knees. Legolas never let go of me, and is by my side. He holds me tightly, and I cry into his shoulder. Gandalf had been a father figure to me, and now he's gone. I sob, and Legolas's arms wrap tightly around me. Why do I lose so many things I care about?!

"Legolas, get them up!" Aragorn says. He looks to Legolas and his eyes widen as he sees Legolas and I. Legolas glares at him venomously, and I am filled with a sudden loathing for Aragorn. Gandalf just died! Does that mean NOTHING to him?

"Give them a moment, for pities sake!" Boromir shouts angrily. Aragorn's eyes narrow.

"By nightfall these hills will be swarming with Orcs! We must reach the woods of Lothlorien. Come, Boromir, Legolas, Gimli, get them up. On your feet, Sam." Legolas stands, picking me up. I stand weakly, numbness replacing the shock and pain.

"Frodo? Frodo!" Aragorn calls out to the hobbit, whose walking away, a dazed look on his face. His cheeks are stained by tears as well, and his eyes reflect the pain I feel inside. We start walking, feeling like death incarnate. The tears we have shed dry quickly under the warmth of the sun, though we do not notice.

We just walk on.

**Oh my gosh! I just about cried writing that! UGH! Why you do this to me Tolkien? My holiday joy just crawled into a hole and died! Awww, poor Frodo! And everyone else! Goddess out- (sniffle)**


	6. Darkness Before Dawn

_And I am back. Well, after a cookie filled weekend, I am feeling rather ill. We baked cookies all weekend and needless to say, we ate more than our fare share. On to the story! Brace yourselves; this one is a bit more of me playing with the minds of our lovely characters! Enjoy!_

**Darkness Before Dawn**

We walk through the forest of Lothlorien, the golden leaves above us comforting me. We walk in silence for the most part, only speaking when we absolutely have to. Each of us walks solemnly, our feet dragging and our hearts heavy with sadness over the loss of Gandalf.

"Stay close, young hobbits. They say a Sorceress lives in these woods." He pauses, and I feel a few pairs of eyes upon me. Gimli continues a bit more quietly, but he's obviously trying to lighten the mood.

"An elf-witch of terrible power. All who look upon her fall under her spell and are never seen again." He finishes, letting it hang dramatically. Pippin and Merry seem entranced by the notion. Boromir smiles a bit, amused by Gimli's tale. Frodo looks distracted, as if he hears something we can't. Perhaps I should have given him the pendant. One look at the smile on Boromir's face as he looks at the large silver trees and I know that he needed it, without the pendant his eyes would surely rest upon Frodo.

"Mr. Frodo?" Sam asks quietly, nudging Frodo gently. Frodo looks at him suddenly, as if just realizing his presence.

"Well, here's one dwarf she won't ensnare so easily! I've the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox!" Gimli says proudly. A bunch of elves suddenly appear out of what appears to be thin air, bows drawn and aiming at us. One steps forward, and I assume him to be the leader. He looks at Gimli disdainfully.

"The dwarf breathes so loud we could have shot him in the dark." He says, eying Gimli. Gimli's eyes narrow dangerously, and I take a deep breath, noticing just how many arrows are aiming at me. I relax; they have no reason to shoot us. We're just passing through. I pray that Gimli just keeps his mouth shut.

"Haldir of Lorien, we come here for your help. We need your protection." Aragorn says. Ah, so that is his name. Everyone but Legolas looks wary and confused. Then I realize, Aragorn was speaking in an elvish language. How do I know elvish? This is so confusing. Maybe it has something to do with Reavardian.

"Aragorn! These woods are perilous, we should go back." Gimli says a bit nervously, and a bit late. I bite back a small smile; this isn't the best of times for that. My thoughts wander to Gandalf, and I push them back.

"You have entered the realm of the Lady of the Wood. You cannot go back." He looks at Frodo, and then his eyes drift lazily over to me. I shudder under his pale icy eyes.

"Come, she is waiting for you." His words are directed towards Frodo and I specifically. We follow Haldir through the forest, the dusky light casting long shadows. We walk quickly, not tarrying for even a second to take in the beauty around us.

We finally stop walking, and stand before an elven man and woman. The man has long silver hair and a face that can only be described as beautiful. But he pales in comparison to the woman who stands at his side. The woman beside him has long gold hair, set aflame by the setting sun. Her skin is pale and flawless, and her face has a beautiful, unearthly quality to it.

"Greetings, I hope your greeting was not too inhospitable. My name is Galadriel and this is Celeborn." The woman says, motioning to the man beside her in turn. Gimli looks awestruck, and his eyes never waiver from Galadriel. Her voice, too, is beautiful.

"Eight there are, yet nine there were set out from Rivendell. Tell me, where is Gandalf, for I much desire to speak with him." Celeborn says, and I feel as though I've been slapped. Galadriel looks at us all silently, taking in our reactions.

"He has fallen into shadow." She says quietly. She looks at Aragorn, who nods subtly. I close my eyes for a moment, determined not to show any weakness. I open my eyes once more, and focus on what Galadriel says next.

"The quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail, to the ruin of all… Yet hope remains while the company is true." She says, and I can't help but frown. What if we mess up? If what she says is true, then the slightest of missteps could lead to disaster.

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Go now and rest for you are weary with sorrow and much toil." Galadriel's eyes linger on Sam, and I get the feeling that she knows something. We are shown to our rooms, and I instantly lay down on the bed, exhausted. Every time I close my eyes, I watch Gandalf plummet to his imminent doom. I sit up, and then hear a knock on the door.

"Come in." I call from the bed. I'm not in the mood for visitors, but anything to get my mind off of Gandalf is welcome. The door opens, and Legolas steps into the room. He closes the door, then walks in and stands in front of me.

"Sit down Legolas." I say, and he sits in a nearby chair. I turn to face him and try to keep my heart rate normal as I look at him.

"What's on your mind?" I ask calmly. His eyes meet mine, and for a second, everything almost feels normal. Then Gandalf's death works its way back into my mind, almost making me wince. He stands back up and walks over to me. Then he takes my hand, pulling me to my feet. We walk out onto a balcony that is attached to the room and I look up at the stars. They are so flawlessly beautiful. Never dying, never aging, near so many others, but always alone.

"Are you all right? I know you were close to Gandalf, and you weren't even given a chance to mourn him." His words snatch me from my reverie. I feel my breath catch in my throat, and I fight back tears once more.

"I'm fine." I say my voice shaky. Legolas looks at me, his eyes once again showing an emotion I don't recognize. I try to take a deep breath, and my resolve cracks. Everything is just too much. I lean against the rail, my shoulders shaking slightly as I cry. Strong arms envelop me, holding me tight. I sob, much like I did before. Moments later I find myself crying onto Legolas's shoulder, his arms still around me.

We stay like that for a long time, until eventually I feel as though I've cried out all my tears. I take a shuddering breath and look up at Legolas. I'm speechless. He stayed here with me, because he knew that I needed a shoulder.

"Thank you." I say feebly. A small smile touches his lips, and my heartbeat stutters.

"It could have been any of us. It could be any of us. I could die tomorrow, and so could you." My voice is frailer than I'd like it to be, and my dream from before comes rushing back with crystal clarity. His lifeless eyes and ghostly pale skin… I step away from him, and look away.

"You're right, it could be. So let's make the best of the time we have." His eyes glint with a new determination, and once again I am reminded of how fragile our lives are. Yet Legolas shows no fear. He embraces it, and just savors the moment instead of wishing for more. I'm reminded of something I heard back in my world. It was something like; it's not the number of breaths you take, but the moments that take your breath away. I thought it was just a useless waste of time at the moment, but perhaps there's some truth to those words.

"How? We're on a deadly quest with no time to stop and just enjoy living." He seems thoughtful, and pauses before answering.

"Any way we can. We all have something we want to do, and though perhaps we can, we do not. We wouldn't do it normally, so we don't do it now, even though any day could be out last." He says. I wish I could do as he says. If I could, I would do so many things, but I can't. It's not up to me.

"I say this because there's something I wish to be able to do." He adds. I instantly look back up at him, wanting to know what it is.

"What's preventing you?" I ask. What could trouble him so, as to come to me about it? He smiles slightly, as if reminiscent or even sad.

"Fear." He says simply. Fear of what? What could he possibly fear? He faces death every day and doesn't back down even a little bit. He's strong, agile, smart, fast and breathtakingly handsome. Few things are outside of his limits.

"You're afraid? What is it that you fear?" I ask quietly. I feel like it should be obvious, but I just don't know. I know what I want it to be, but that's not important.

"Rejection." That catches me off guard. I'm starting to get an idea. A very good idea.

"We only have one life, and each day could be our last. Just go for it." I say smoothly. His eyes are so incredible, is my last coherent thought.

He steps towards me and in an instant his lips are on mine, and I'm just sitting here shocked. He's actually kissing me. I was right. I kiss him back, and my eyes close. He pulls back abruptly, stepping back. Did I do something wrong? My eyes are wide and my breathing is erratic. A thousand thoughts go through my head, and few of them are good.

"Elsira, I just met you… But you are like no one I've ever met before. I apologize. I should not have been so bold. I acted impulsively, and apologize for that. I'm not sure what I was thinking. Forgive me; I'll take my leave now." He turns to leave, and I don't stop him. I can't. I'm shocked by what just happened. He opens the door and I still stand there unmoving, as if I've been turned to stone. He leaves, closing the door behind him, and I finally snap out of it. I just sit down and stare up at the stars, a thousand more thoughts going through my head.

I open my eyes, and find myself in my bed. I don't remember getting here… Thoughts of last night flood my mind, and I shut my eyes tight. I eventually climb out of bed and change out of my armour and into some clothes I find on a dresser. They're just simple outdoor clothes. I manage to find a hairbrush and run it through my hair with some difficulty. What I wouldn't do for a bath right now.

I jump slightly when I hear a knock on my door. I walk over and open it, to find Gimli. He looks rather sheepish, and I can't help but wonder what he's doing here so early. We aren't leaving until tomorrow, and I'm still not particularly fond of him after our little disagreement.

"I came to apologize, lass. I figured it was overdue, and I ought to get it over with. I didn't treat ya right, and I judged you unfairly. I just figured I knew ya, and didn't stop to ask 'bout none of it. A warrior is nothing without his honor, and I dragged mine through the mud. I just wanted to tell you I'm sorry." He doesn't talk very loud, but I can still hear his voice very clearly. It seems Gimli is never quiet.

"It's all right. I know many people who would have done much the same. The fact that you are taking the time to apologize for your actions makes me feel inclined to forgive you. Apology accepted master Gimli." I say with a smile. He takes that as his queue to leave and turns away as I close the door. I lay down, feeling reminiscent of my old life. This won't be the last time I miss it, that's for sure.

I let out a sigh before hearing a knock on the door. It seems everyone wants to speak to me. I open the door to find a small female elf. She has light brown hair and big brown eyes.

"Lady Galadriel sent for you my lady." She says quietly. She turns and begins to walk away, not waiting for an answer. I follow her, closing the door behind me. She leads me to a little clearing where Lady Galadriel is waiting. She's beautiful, wearing a long white dress that flows about her and her hands clasped behind her back in formality. The little elf leaves and Galadriel's hands fall to her sides.

"Reavardian, it's been awhile." She says with a smile. The smile is faint, but there. My confusion must have shown, as she begins to explain.

"My dear, I am the lady in white from your dreams." She says sweetly. Ah, so that's why she looks so familiar! I thought I'd seen her before. It seems that I was right. But if Galadriel is the lady in white, then why did she call me Reavardian?

"My Lady, why do you call me Reavardian if you know that I am not she?" I ask her. A smile ghosts over her lips, so faint I'm not sure it was there at all.

"Your mind is linked to Reavardian's. Surely you have done or said things that aren't normal for you? For example, understanding a bit of elvish here and there. Or perhaps doing risky and dangerous things that you wouldn't have normally done. It's a light link though, and she is only present in your thoughts sometimes. More so when you use magic, though you don't seem to use it much. Why is that?" How the heck does she know what I do and don't do? Witchcraft! What black magic is this?

"I don't use it because I don't want it. It's difficult and unusual, hard to use and not something I've ever even seen before! Heck, I didn't even go to see the magicians back on Earth because I knew it was fake! Now, I come here and everything is just all of a sudden real? That's like giving a farmer a sword and telling them, ok go use this out on the adventure you're about to take but don't even know about! I don't even want to be a sorceress! I can live with being an elf, but a sorceress? That's just too much!" I fall silent, having finished my rant. Galadriel nods thoughtfully, thinking of a response to my outburst.

"If you'd like, I could bind your magic so that is unusable. It's a difficult spell, but judging by your reaction to your magic, I think it might be a favorable option for you." Wait, you can do that? How come no one told me?! I just wanted to go back to being normal old me, without any magic or elfyness. Is that so much to ask? Although, I must admit, I rather enjoy being an elf.

"Yes, definitely. How soon can you do it?" I ask quickly, my words practically blurring together in my eagerness. She smiles slightly at my excitement.

"Go to your room, I shall have a maid get you warm water for a bath. Meet me back here in an hour, and I shall rid you of your magic." I return to my room, a grin on my face. No more magic! This is too good to be true! I return to my room and find the elven lass from before waiting for me.

"Follow me madam." She says quietly, and slips out the door. She walks down the hall and into a small white room. In the room, there is a tub of hot water and a few towels. I thank her and she leaves.

I sigh contentedly as I lower myself into the water. I sit for awhile before I start scrubbing the dirt and grime off of myself. Not long after, I stand and wrap myself in a towel. My skin is a few shades lighter, and my hair is soft and clean, falling to my elbows in soft brown rivulets. I look around for a hairbrush, and find one on a table nearby next to a grey dress. I brush my hair, reveling in its velvet softness as it lays on my neck and upper back.

I lay down the hairbrush, having untangled all the knots in my hair. I put on the dress, which falls to my knees. It fits perfectly, and is feather light and soft as velvet. It has short, simple sleeves and is nothing particularly special. It's tight on my upper body, but is loose around my legs, giving me full mobility. I take the hairbrush to my room and lay it down on a dresser, intending to take it with me. I step out into the hall, preparing to go back to Galadriel.

**Legolas POV**

I am such a fool. I've spent hundreds of years maintaining near-perfect control, and I just completely lose it. I shake my head and open the door, intending to go and speak to Aragorn. I hear footsteps turn to see what appears to be a goddess walking towards me.

Long, dark brown hair cascades over her shoulders and down her back. Almond shaped hazel eyes rimmed by long dark eyelashes. Full pink lips that are slightly pursed in thought and alabaster skin, cleaned and free of dirt. A knee-length gray dress clings to her skin, hugging her curves but flowing around her legs. She is indeed, a goddess.

I close the door quickly, praying she didn't notice me. The sounds of her footsteps recede and I send a quick thank you up to Vellian, the elven goddess of mischief and secrets. I crack open the door, peering out. It's clear now, so I open the door and walk quickly down to Aragorn's room.

I have much to tell him.

**I know, it was a bit short, and Legolas's actions weren't explained. But patience my dears, all shall be revealed. Not saying when though! Sorry it took so long to update, had a bit of writers block and some projects that needed doing. I'm REALLY bad about procrastinating! Anyways, thanks for reading! Goddess out.**


	7. A Strike From The Shadows

_Just got back from the vacation of a lifetime! I went to Cancun and stayed at Riu Cancun, a place I HIGHLY recommend! Great food, entertainment, staff, view location and so much stuff to do! It also is the perfect place to relax and just lay out on the beach. But enough of that, on to the story! I was longing for some action, so I played with the events, this never actually happened but I really liked the idea. Also, the next few chapters are solid adventure, you'll see…_

**A Strike From The Shadows**

_When you see this, Rea is thinking to Elsira._

_**When you see this, Elsira is thinking to Rea.**_

**And this is me wasting your time! **

**(Frodo POV)**

I sit idly on my bed, still quite stricken by my meeting with Galadriel. I'm not quite sure what to make of it, and the Ring has been oddly silent. Ever since I spoke to her, it has been silent, dead silent, as if waiting for something. I shake my head; such thoughts are best left alone. I'm safe here.

I stand up and open my door, not wanting to linger here in the deathly silence any longer. I step out into the hall and start walking slowly, no particular place in mind. The sun is setting, and the shadows are growing longer as the minutes slip slowly by, each second bringing Middle Earth one step closer to its doom, unless we prevail. I must have hope.

A shadow moves slightly, darting left. I glance up to see a monstrous creature leaping down at me, and I have no weapons. I dive out of the way and it lands silently before advancing menacingly. I leap back, my back hitting a wall painfully, and sink down to my knees, my death approaching silently. An orcish assassin, unheard of up until now. I didn't even think it was possible. I close my eyes, my breath catching in my throat.

**(Elsira POV)**

I walk down the near silent halls, clean and unarmed for the first time since I arrived here. Soon, my magic will disappear and everything will be a bit more normal. I sigh contentedly, and turn a corner.

My heart stops, an orc looms menacingly over Frodo, sword raised and poised to strike. I have mere seconds to react, and then I feel myself get shoved aside, except my body didn't move. I watch as I raise a hand and with a single word a bolt of white lightning erupts from my fingertips, hitting the orc squarely and throwing him back. I lower my arm and say a phrase, and a glowing, translucent silver sword appears in my hand. I run gracefully to the orc, who is just beginning to rise, and leap past him, sword extended from my right hand. I land and stand up straight, then turn towards the orc, just in time to see its head topple from his body as it collapses into a pile. The sword vanishes, and I turn towards Frodo, who is staring wide eyed at me.

I regain control of myself, feeling my consciousness slide back into place, and a single thought goes through my head; Reavardian. She must have taken over or something. Like when I read elvish, or fought that cave troll. I take a shuddering step and fall, my legs giving out. I collapse onto the floor, and everything goes black.

My eyes open and look around. I'm in my room, and I see the fellowship talking in hushed voices on the balcony, except for Aragorn, who stands by my side.

"She's awake." He says to the rest of the group as our eyes meet. The Fellowship gathers around me, and I sit up.

"How long was I out?" I ask quietly, hoping it wasn't long. We can't afford much delay if we are to destroy the ring whilst also avoiding Sauron's forces.

"A few hours." Aragorn says calmly. I see concern on everyone's face, and open relief on Frodo's. A few hours is ok, I'm glad it wasn't more. The ritual! Oh no, I won't be able to lock my magic, but after what just happened, maybe that's not such a bad thing. After all, it saved Frodo's life. I may not like magic, but I can't deny the usefulness of it. But now I'm much more concerned about Reavardian. She was useful, but that's far too dangerous. I can't just randomly not be me, that is inviting danger with open arms.

"Frodo told us what he saw, but now I'm more interested in your side of the story." Aragorn's voice draws every eye, and then directs them to me. Boromir seems particularly interested in my odd actions, as he never really trusted me, despite my kindness. Though lately, he has been trusting me more and more. I can tell he wants to trust me, he just isn't sure if trusting me is wise.

I tell the whole group the tale of how I got here, knowing that they need to know. Gandalf could have helped, if only he were still alive. I finish my tale, and silence ensues. I take a deep breath and then begin once more, telling the rest.

"All right, you deserve the truth, all of it. When I came here, I had a dream. One of our companions was dying, and I was defending him. But I wasn't me; it was someone who looked like me. I was rescued from that dream by a lady in white, who I recently discovered is Galadriel. Not long after, I had another dream, and spoke to the person who looked like me in the other dream and Galadriel. I was brought here from my world because I didn't grow up hearing all the tales and stories, I didn't grow up fearing Sauron or anyone here for that matter. I was brought here to avenge Reavardian as her reincarnate. Lately, I've been able to understand elvish, and when I fought the cave troll, I didn't fight it. Reavardian took over somehow, and she did that again, this time calling on magic. So there you go. That's the basics of what's happened. I was just walking down the hall, I saw the orc about to kill Frodo, Reavardian took over and I saved him." Merry and Pippin listen intently, and then Boromir laughs.

"You lot don't actually believe her, do you?" The looks that comment earn him from the rest of the group silence him, and I can't help but smile a bit at the knowledge that they believe me. Boromir looks away, shame faced.

"I have heard tales of an ancient warrior, a guardian of the Tower of Sorcery by the name of Reavardian. She fell defending the tower, buying the mages time to escape by striking down every foe that came her way, until Sauron himself opposed her. She fought valiantly, but she was no match for his sheer power. It is said that as he struck the killing blow, the last of the mages escaped. She became a legend, then a name without a face, and eventually, she was forgotten. Wiped from the history books, she is remembered by precious few. She was an elven mage, who started out as an orphan. She learned swordplay and archery first; it was only much later that she learned magic. She never became a mage because she did not want to be locked away in the tower for years while reading old tomes and spell books. So the mages agreed that she could be a Guardian and roam the forest, returning daily to defending the mages as they taught her. And that is the tale of Reavardian. I remember my grandfather telling me that tale when I was a boy." All eyes rest on Aragorn as he speaks, and I feel everything click into place. Now that I know the tale, it all makes sense. Reavardian was a legendary warrior; of course she would want revenge.

I look outside, the sun has set and the sky is dark, but there's a purple glow on the horizon. I stare out at it, entranced by the thin line of purple that lingers still, clinging to life amidst the dark night sky. It reminds me of us, our quest, a single strand of light and hope amidst all this darkness. We must leave this place soon, and press on towards the source of the evil. The beginning and end of the pure evil that is the wicked and powerful ring, Mordor.

_You could take the ring, take it somewhere safe… Then use the rings power and rule. They would never expect it, you could succeed. You could be a god._ The voice in my head that speaks is not mine. The power of the ring, the promises of ultimate and controlling power, an unstoppable force that none could take away. These thoughts are not mine. No, it must be the ring. The ring, yes. I want to destroy the ring, right? Yes, I am helping Frodo take the ring to Mordor to destroy it. A hint of doubt lingers in my mind, despite my efforts to banish such treacherous thoughts.

"Rest everyone; we leave at dawn to continue on our way to Mordor." Aragorn says. He is our leader now it seems. Ever since Gandalf… died, we have all looked to him for guidance. I guess that's just the way of things. When we do not know which way to go, and we have no one to guide us, we look to someone stronger than us for guidance.

Everyone returns to their rooms, all the Hobbits staying together to help protect each other. I won't be able to sleep, not after the events of today. My eyes close and within seconds I enter the world of dreams.

I stand on the edge of a cliff once more, balancing upon the prepuce, trying not to fall. I take a step back when suddenly; I'm standing on a pillar of stone. I stand alone, tall and unmoving, but frightened. A thin but long path appears before me, about a foot across. A voice on the wind whispers quietly, the words soft and smoothly spoken, drifting on the wind so that each syllable is individual, but flows together like a song.

"The way is long and hard, stray but an inch and you shall fall, and if you should fall, then all will be lost, and the world will be plunged into an eternal darkness. Balance is everything, until the wind picks up. Go fast, go straight, and don't look back." I glance back and see a huge black cloud moving towards me, and moving fast. I race along the narrow path, not pausing or stopping. I hear thunder rumbling all around me, and run faster. Wind begins to tug at me, threatening to snatch me from the path.

"It's not until you fall that you learn you can fly." Whispers the voice of an old woman. This voice is ancient and powerful, unlike that of the young thing I heard before. The wind continues to grow stronger, and I know I won't be able to run much further. I stop and look behind me. The massive black cloud extends on both sides further than I can see.

This is a dream, I think to myself. I feel the salty spray of the ocean cashing into the path far below me, and watch as lightning strikes within the inky black cloud. I start to question the reality of this dream. Is this a dream? What if I don't wake up? I look down. It's a long fall with pointed rocks looming far below me. I take a deep breath, the words of the old woman resonating in my mind. The wind screams in my ears, and thunder roars deafeningly. All my fears vanish in an instant, evanescent to the point that I question the reality of them. I jump.

My eyes open and I take a breath. I roll onto my side and look out the window. The horizon is burning orange and the sky has turned varying shades of purple and blue. Dawn approaches, I had best prepare for the day. I'm keeping my magic, having decided that it might come in handy later, though I'm still not thrilled with the whole, Reavardian thing. Despite that, I fear that there is little I can do about that at the moment.

I sit up, my dream fresh in my mind, and its meaning isn't quite clear. Perhaps it will make sense later. Who knows, perhaps it was just a dream and it doesn't mean anything, though I suspect otherwise.

I get up and change into my armour, brushing my hair before putting it into a tight but, keeping it out of my face. I slip my sword belt around my waist and gather my things. The sun has crept over the horizon, casting shadows on the world and basking everything in a cool morning glow, bathing the world in colors more vivid than any artists paints could be. The world is ablaze everywhere the light hits, and I can't help but be in awe of the glorious sight before me.

A knock at the door draws me from my reverie. I open the door, only to see the elven lass from before. I grab my gear and she leads me the first room we entered here. My other companions are already there, and are talking amongst themselves. They each hold an item they hadn't had before, except for Gimli, who seems to be holding… hair? I'll ask him later, Galadriel is waiting for me off to the side. I walk over to her, bowing slightly.

"Is there something you wish of me?" I ask her. She motions for me to stand and I do so. She hands me and object, and I look at it closely. It's a small figurine of a majestic silver dragon that sits with its tail wrapped around its claws and its head held high. It's about 4 inches tall and 3 inches wide, made of some strange metal I've never seen before.

"This figurine will house Reavardian's spirit so that she cannot take over you. When Reavardian lies within, the dragon will become sentient and able to move on its own and will grow a bit, along with being able to speak to you telepathically. The statue is nearly impossible to break, but if it does break, Reavardian will return to you, as you are her host. Also, if you need to hide her, she can shrink back down for a time." Galadriel explains.

As if on command, the statue's tail uncurls and it stands, growing until its body is about the size of a house cat. It has tiny horns and intelligent gold eyes. Silver scales plate its entire body and little spikes protrude from its back at intervals. She blinks and yawns, unfurling her wings.

_Ah, this is much better than being stuck in your mind. Now I can move all by myself. The names Reavardian, but you can call me Rea, all my friends did. _I instantly recoil at the intrusion I feel, the thoughts placed in my mind. I feel more in control now, more focused and everything seems clearer. Rea's voice is snarky and fun loving, much like mine used to be, before I became serious.

_Boring's more like it. You used to have fun and let loose. Now everything you do is restrained and focused. You should relax a little and not worry so much, and now I can actually help you. I am an ancient guardian after all. I have a few tricks up my sleeve. _She sounds pleased, and rather self absorbed if I may say so myself.

_**I don't doubt that, but give me a minute to sort out my thoughts and thank Galadriel properly! **_I shoot back, still trying to figure everything out. Rea huffs impatiently.

"Thank you very much Galadriel, this means a lot to me and I deeply appreciate it." I say warmly and she nods. I bow once more and Rea climbs onto my left shoulder, sitting with her tail draped around my neck and falling over my right shoulder. I rejoin the group, receiving some odd looks.

"Lass, we heard and all, but most of us have never seen a dragon. Not very inconspicuous if you ask me." Gimli says, watching Rea closely.

"Depends on where you go. In some places, small dragons like that aren't even given second looks. They are companions often given to mages, so we should be ok as long as we use that cover story to explain her." Boromir adds, surprising us with his knowledge of other places that, until now, I doubted a bit.

_Boromir speaks the truth. Those places are distant, but people who do not know better will accept the answer unquestioningly. But where we're going, I doubt it really matters what anyone thinks._ Rea's inquisitive gold eyes scan Boromir thoughtfully. The other companions relax with the threat of standing out averted. I note the fact that Boromir was the one to say that I was ok and wouldn't stand out. He could have remained silent and not helped me.

The time has come to leave; we gather our things and set out, Frodo seeming a bit shaken but all in all ok. We get into small elvish boats and just like that we're off, leaving the safety and company of the elves behind. We float down the great river Anduin, talking quietly but happily amongst ourselves. My boat contains a talkative Gimli and Legolas, who has not said much and averts his gaze, staring out at the water and forest. The Sam, Merry and Pippin all sit together, talking merrily and laughing. Boromir, Frodo and Aragorn sit quietly in the third boat, not saying much.

"Why so quiet elf? Ye normally got a lot to say when we're talking about all yer woodsy stuff." Legolas glances up, and Rea gives me a few choice thoughts about him, making me stifle a laugh. Gimli turns to me.

"What's so funny?" He asks pointedly. I bite back my laughter once more; Rea yawns and sits contentedly on the prow of the boat, her eyes shifting lazily to me as she feigns innocence.

"Oh nothing." I say unconvincingly, holding back a smile. Gimli's eyes narrow. The hair he had earlier is pinned to his armour right over his heart, I eye it and he looks away, whistling a tune rather comically.

"No reason to be so broody Legolas." I say teasingly. I can't help but feel uplifted by the beauty around me. It's nice here, even better than back home.

"I'm not brooding." He says finally. He looks straight at me, sending a shiver down my spine. His face remains impassive, and my teasing smirk returns. Gimli observes us, noting the lengthy silence.

"You really are brooding elf, what's got yer sword bent?" My smile fades, Legolas sits quietly, and all the noise around us seems to fade. Is it really this silent, or are our minds deceiving us?

"Nothing." He says finally. I roll my eyes, and Gimli shakes his head, his wild red beard bouncing to and fro. I sigh and look ahead. My breath is snatched away by the sight that looms before us.

Two massive statues stand proudly on either side of the river, each three hundred feet tall. They are Gondorian kings of old, and loom proudly and majestically over the river, making me feel particularly small. Aragorn stares at them, seeming particularly entranced. He tells Frodo something and Frodo too stares up at them. The current carries us through the gap at the statues feet and we all sit silently staring up at the majestic statues of old.

**And the end is reached for this chapter! Thank yall for reading this, it means a lot! Sorry it took me so long to update! I saw the Hobbit, it ROCKED! Highly recommend it. Although, it didn't follow the storyline set by the books. Still great though! -Goddess out**


	8. Eye Of The Storm

**Wow, holy cow. That took a long time to write and post! So sorry my lovelies! I had midterms and stuff was crazy because I was trying to actually study for once! Also, I have started another story that yall are welcome to check out, it's a Skyrim story called Walking The Line. It's Cicero's past and the reason he is the way he is, and even if you don't really like Skyrim, you could check it out from the goodness in your hearts! Well, I hope you all enjoy this! Also, thank you to all my amazing reviewers! You guys are my inspiration to continue this story, without you guys, this could end up like my other story, which was discontinued, so thank you all SO much and please review. **

**Eye Of The Storm**

**(Legolas POV)**

I sit in silence and stare out at the world around me, my thoughts a jumbled mess. Everything is going well in our quest, but it seems that everything is going wrong in my mind. I think of Elsira, her soft, sleek hair, her almond shaped eyes, her thin high eyebrows, small nose, and her full lips… No, I mustn't think such things at a time like this! The image of her in the dress resonates through my mind, and I shut my eyes tightly, trying to banish the thought. She will distract me from the quest, but more importantly, if I were to allow myself to fall for her, I could lose her, and that would kill me as surely as any blade.

But that night on the balcony… I become lost in remembrance. The way she didn't pull back, but leaned into it, I could feel her heart race. I shake my head, trying to focus on the present instead of the past. I know I need to just let her go, but I can't imagine being without her. I guess I'll just have to wait and see where it goes, and react accordingly for now.

**(Gimli POV)**

There's something going on between the elf and Elsira. I guess Elsira's an elf too, but I don't call her elf, I call her Elsira. I wonder what it is… Bah, it's probably some debt. The elf was probably just teaching her something and she owes him or some other nonsense like who likes trees more. Bloody tree lovers. That's all elves seem to talk about, it's just, oh look at those trees and that rock and that deer! Bah, waste of time, I'd rather eat the deer than sit and stare at it. Bloody elves… They should just drink some good ale and have a good bar fight. That always worked for me! Ah, ale, a luxury I haven't had in what seems like ages. Well, when this is over, I'll probably get my ale for free! If we survive that is.

**(Reavardian's POV)**

I sigh, watching the two elves discreetly glance at each other. Nothing major, just once every few minutes. While her looks are filled with precision and are practically timed, his seem confused and random, thus leading me to the conclusion that he's deep in thought and she knows exactly what she's doing. Their eyes meet for a second before Legolas's eyes return to the forest. I decide to meddle. I stand and stretch before leaping over to Legolas. He looks down at me curiously, unsure of my motives. I smile to myself once more

_Ah, I remember a time when I was in love. He was a handsome young fellow and a mage as well. The Arch Mage taught us together, as we were both young and knew almost nothing about magic._

**_And you're telling me this why? Wait, how are we talking?_**

_Shut up! I'm telling a story! Oh, and, I linked our minds. _He's silent but I can feel his exasperation, I can't help but grin. _He was a half-elf named Cailan Oakenheart. When Sauron attacked, Cailan and I had been studying and enjoying ourselves. He went to gather the mages while I held them off. The point of the story is this though. We were young, carefree and reckless, thinking that we would have our whole lives to spend together, we didn't. He had only gotten the courage to tell me what I meant to him a few months before that. I died soon after. You all are facing danger every day, yet still are foolish enough to keep your thoughts to yourself. The heart is fickle, overindulge it and it becomes weak, under indulge it and will wither. Keep your heart open and strong, you will need it for what is to come._

I grin as my speech has the desired effect. He looks over at Elsira thoughtfully. **_You make it sound simple and easy when really, it's not. Such things are not as easy as you make them sound_****. **I groan inwardly. _What have you got to lose? You could die tomorrow; better to have spent that time together than to have longed for it alone. Did you not say something similar to her? What happened to that confidence and belief? If you stop believing just because you think something may be rushed or hurried, then you are a fool._ He scowls a bit at me while I innocently ruffle my wings and stretch before curling up to sleep. I mentally laugh, amused by his nervousness.

**(Legolas POV)**

Though I'm concerned that she linked our minds, I trust Rea and I think she has a point. We really could die tomorrow, and with that in mind we should live today. Next time I talk to her I'll tell her how I feel, well, I mean, it's not like she doesn't already know. I berate myself silently, thinking about that night, and the drinks Gimli had pushed on me. The drinks had loosened me tongue enough that I stopped thinking about consequences, but not enough that I wasn't thinking straight. It just pulled my thoughts to the forefront instead of the repercussions my actions might have in the long run. Perhaps, I should drink a bit more often. I laugh mentally at the thought; I don't intend to act like a dwarf. I need to talk to Elsira though; I have a few confessions to make.

**(Elsira POV)**

Something moves in my peripheral vision, and I turn towards it. Legolas must have seen it as well, as his eyes stare intently at the same place. I watch, and soon enough something moves again. Nothing moves for a long time, so I figure it was probably just an animal. Besides, it didn't move much, just a foot or two. Soon enough we land and all leap from the boats and onto the shore.

"We'll cross the river at nightfall, hide the boats and continue on foot… We approach Mordor on foot." Aragorn says. Gimli looks about to speak, but I interrupt him.

"Something's not right. I can't put my finger on it, but something feels off about this place. I think we ought to leave as soon as possible." Legolas steps forward to stand beside me while the rest of the group gathers firewood and starts to prepare food.

"I agree, something's coming." Aragorn nods thoughtfully and pardons himself, leaving us to our thoughts. Legolas looks at me and our eyes meet, but before he can say anything I hear Pippin in the background.

"Where's Frodo?" I turn towards him, along with everyone else. I scan the group, Boromir's gone as well. I take off into the forest in a heartbeat, my long legs carrying me swiftly over the dank and dirty ground. I see them, and leap nimbly into a tree, climbing out onto a limb above them. I look down upon them, listening to their conversation.

"So much depends on you Frodo, you should be more careful. I understand though, I understand why you seek solitude. I see the burden of the ring every day in your eyes. It is a heavy burden to carry, and one you carry alone. Are you sure you cannot trust one of us with the ring?" I smile at his honest tone, he seeks only to help Frodo, and Frodo can see it as well. He visibly relaxes.

"Yes. I trust you all, but this is my burden to bear. What you say is true though, sometimes it does seem to be too much. I struggle sometimes just to stay focused. But this is one thing that cannot be helped." His voice is solemn and grieving, obviously pained by the wicked ring.

You could take it, you could fix this. Just take it from Frodo, and destroy it, you're helping him. This is too much for him, just take it, and everything will be ok. You can carry the ring, Reavardian brought you here because you are special, why not show everyone just how special you are? I try to shake the promising voice from my head, but to no avail.

Come now, don't be a fool! You were brought here for a reason! Take the ring and use it to defeat Sauron! My eyes focus in on the ring. I fight the urge to steal it from him, to carry it, to use it. I am strong enough, I have always had a strong will, it cannot break me. I creep further out onto the branch, standing juxtaposed to him. I am about 11 feet above him, the fall isn't too bad.

I crouch down lower, tensing all my muscles. With a snarl I explode into motion, leaping on Frodo in an almost feral way, grabbing at the ring. The second my hand touches it I feel as though I've been burned. I recoil instantly, and fall back off him, and then he's gone. I cry out in anguish. What have I done?! I leap to my feet, screaming his name.

"FRODO! I'm so sorry!" I fall to my knees in tears. I just attacked him; I just attacked Frodo after everything that's happened. I feel tears streak my cheeks, and I shudder as a racking sob consumes me. Boromir is by my side in an instant, panicked.

"Elsira! What, what just happened?" He can't seem to wrap his head around the fact that I just attacked Frodo, as I am normally the first to aid him.

"I don't know! I was sitting in the tree, watching, making sure everything was all right, and then the voice, it told me that I could destroy the ring, that I could defeat Sauron and then destroy the ring and it just happened!" The words tumble from my mouth rapidly and I am on the verge of hysteria.

**(Aragorn POV)**

"Frodo, are you all right?" I ask, standing over him. He lies on the ground, curled up and breathing heavily.

"It, it did something to her. To Elsira! She, she attacked me, trying to get the ring. I don't know what happened, one second I was talking to Boromir and the next she was jumping out of a tree on me." I take a step forward to comfort him, and he recoils. I'm surprised, I thought he trusted me more and then again, he trusted Elsira as well…

**(Elsira POV)**

I stand shakily, and hear thunderous footsteps all around me. Large, humanoid creatures pour from the forest. Boromir and I attack, not bothering to think. I shove my thoughts away and merely let my blade be my guide. I fight through my tears, not feeling the small nicks and cuts. I hear the Horn of Gondor bellow not far from me, and I realize that I'm not as close to Boromir as I thought I was. I panic a bit, and slash my way through the creatures, my sword cutting a blazing path of fury through the monstrous creatures. I reach him just in time to see a large black arrow hit his chest with crushing impact, and dive deep.

"NO!" I scream, and I feel strength building up within me. It intensifies and I am staggered by the sheer force of it. Another arrow skips past him, narrowly missing and I let loose a scream of pure rage.

"YOU WILL NOT TOUCH HIM!" I scream, standing up. I run towards him as fast as I can, leaping from beast to beast in a fit of sheer rage. They keep coming, and another arrow joins the first. I feel the power within me building up, until I can feel nothing else. It explodes forth, a wall of pure energy blasting every advancing orc back and throwing them onto trees and each other. I see Legolas, Gimli and Aragorn stagger, thought they were far enough it didn't affect them too much. I look back at Boromir, who was unaffected. He smiles weakly, his hand finding the arrows. He sits on his knees, dazed. I have failed him, I was too late. Everything goes dark as I slump to the ground, unconscious.

I hear a low murmur beside me, and I slowly open my eyes, letting them adjust to the light. I feel drained, both physically and mentally. Images flash before my eyes, and everything comes rushing back. I sit up quickly and look around.

"What happened to Boromir?" I ask hastily, not wasting a moment. Aragorn's expression is grim, and I feel my heart sink. Aragorn shakes his head, and then looks over at a small boat, where Boromir's body lies, shrouded by a blanket.

"And Frodo?" I ask, wondering how the little guy fared after I had all but attacked him. Aragorn once again looks sad, and I pray he isn't dead. What would we do then?

"He's gone." Aragorn says simply. I feel my heart sink, and I realize, it was all my fault. If I hadn't done that, Frodo wouldn't have run, we could have saved Boromir, none of this would have happened. I lay back down, feeling ill and broken. First Gandalf, then Boromir, and now Frodo. Maybe I'd be better off going home. I can't seem to do anything right here. Not that I could get home if I tried.

For the first time since coming here, all I want is to go home. Before, I was always excited and was a bit torn, now, I really just want to go home. I see no point in staying; all I seem to do is mess things up. I don't belong here. I belong back home with my friends and family. Surely they have noticed my absence. I can barely remember their names, their faces. They're all but gone from my memory, leaving me alone, so very alone. I want nothing more than to go home now, to remember everything and have everything be the same as what it used to be. I close my eyes and before I know it, I'm asleep.

I open my eyes to find that I'm back home, my real home. Back in my tiny town where nothing ever changes, back on Earth. I'm sitting on my cream colored leather couch, and Leah is sitting across from me. A small white Maltese sits on my lap; it's the dog I was thinking about getting before I left. I know immediately that she's 8 months old and her name is Roxxie. She looks up at me with big puppy eyes and nuzzles my hand. I ruffle her fur and she nips at my hand playfully, barking. I laugh at her, she's adorable.

Leah's eating pizza with her blonde hair tied back in a ponytail, her bangs swept to the side. She's smiling and laughing at something I must have said. It's just like old time.

"What's up Ells? You seem distracted." She looks at me, one eyebrow raised in her usual expression. She half smirks, seeming amused. I remember everything, but how did I get back here? What's going on?

_**Rea, what's going on? How I get back here? **_I'm answered by silence, which is unusual. I feel an odd emptiness in my mind, she's not there. It's like it never happened. I search within myself for my magic, and feel nothing. I look down at my outfit; I'm wearing loose sweatpants and a tank top, my usual house clothes. I'm really home.

"Nothing, I was just daydreaming." I cover quickly, smiling. I grab a slice of pizza and take a bite, delighted by the favor. Oh how I've missed it. My thoughts drift to Middle Earth, and what I just left behind. Did I ever even go? I look at my left forearm where I was injured defending Boromir and see a thin scar where I was cut. It happened, it was real. I look back up at Leah who looks at me confused.

"Where did you get that?" She asks. Roxxie stands up; stretches, yawns and lays back down, curling up on my lap. I pet her, scratching her ear affectionately. I absentmindedly think of Middle Earth, Leah might believe me. I've the scars and stories to prove it, after all.

"You might not believe me." I have to admit, my story sounds crazy even to me. She rolls her eyes.

"That hasn't stopped you before." She smirks and laughs. She has a point there. I've told her just about every story, no matter how strange. I sigh and begin my tale, every detail vivid. Memories of my old life are returning, starting from the most recent and spanning back. I tell her everything, not leaving out a single detail. After I finish she stares at me, gaping. Then she laughs.

"Wow, you had me going there for a minute." My serious expression stops her laughter cold.

"You're serious…" I nod, and she stops laughing abruptly.

"Hold up, you went to MIDDE EARTH and you DIDN'T TAKE ME WITH YOU!?" She rants, extremely displeased. I smile in spite of what she said, relieved that she believes me. I laugh and Roxxie wakes up, cuddling closer to me before leaping up to lick my nose. I laugh again and hold Roxxie in my arms.

"And you left?" Her quiet question takes me by surprise. I think back to Gandalf and Boromir's death, and then Frodo's sudden departure. I nod at her question and she puts her pizza down.

"Why would you leave? They needed you, and it's Middle Earth. You belong there, where you can actually use your weapons training. Not here where you can only hunt and practice. What were you thinking, coming back?" Her tone is soft and serious, and I reflect back on my actions.

"I wasn't in control of my travels there and back. I don't know how I got there, and I don't know how I got back. I don't belong there Leah, I belong here. There was so much death there, so much violence. I was terrified, and everyone thought I was more than I really was." I speak quietly, and don't meet her eyes. I can't.

"If you could go back, would you?" I glance up, looking at her pale blue eyes. Would I? I don't know. It was incredible there, I felt so alive there, so real. Here, there is no constant threat of death looming over you, but there's also no chance for a real adventure. When was the last time I heard of someone going out into the middle of nowhere without some sort of communications device? No one here faces down things with a sword or bow; everything is done with guns and other such weapons. This world is nothing like Middle Earth.

But people don't get killed right in front of you by horrid, nightmarish creatures here. There are no elves here, no dwarves, no ancient feuds between races that still bring hostility and war. There is discrimination, but not like there. There are no hobbits, no quests, and no evil creatures fighting to return. There are no rings that can control people by giving them ideas and influencing them. I realize right at that moment, I want to go back.

"Yes, I would go back." My eyes snap open, my vision clearer and my senses sharper. I'm lying on the cold hard ground in the middle of a forest, with Legolas, Gimli, Aragorn, Merry and Pippin gathered around me. I'm back.

**Hey my lovely readers, I finally updated! So sorry for the delay, I had a lot going on. I will try to be better about that! A big thank you to all my amazing readers, you guys rock! Hope yall enjoyed it this chapter!**

**-Goddess out**


	9. Light Up The Night

**Hello my amazing readers! I would like to thank all of you as this story is world-wide! I have a lot of support from all of my reviewers and readers and it really means a lot to me. Thank you all so much, I read every review and appreciate them very much! Please note that the "elvish" will be translated at the end of this chapter! ;) And on that note, let the story telling commence!**

**Light Up The Night**

**(Elsira POV)**

I look around and see only a few faces. Boromir, Frodo and Sam's faces are missing. That's when it hits me; I might never see their faces again. Frodo and Sam left and Boromir… My thoughts return to the relieved faces above me. Pippin and Merry are gone as well, leaving only Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and me.

"Elsira, by the gods, you're alive…" Aragorn trails off. He visibly relaxes as I sit up. Legolas is sitting by my side and I doubt he left while I was out. I rub my temples, a wicked headache forming.

"What happened?" I ask. All I remember is the strange magic energy pulse thing I did and then, nothing. A line creases Aragorn's brow as his eyes narrow.

"That's the thing; none of us know what happened. We were rather hoping that you might know actually." I search my memory and I remember returning home and speaking to Leah, though the rest of my memories of home are fading. I rub my temples as I try to make sense of everything that's happened lately. Nothing seems to make sense though, from returning home to the strange energy pulse.

"I don't know any more than you sadly. One question though, how did I get here?" I have been wondering, as I'm near the river instead of deep in the woods. Aragorn looks at Legolas who answers simply, "I carried you."

"Carried ya a long way, wouldn't let any of us help no less." Legolas glances away at that and I try not to smile. I manage to maintain a straight face and stay quiet. Aragorn nods and walks over to the fire. Gimli claps me on the shoulder and follows Aragorn over to the fire, leaving Legolas and I alone.

"I was afraid I was going to lose you. You were barely breathing and your heart was weak." Legolas's eyes return to mine, his beautiful eyes marred by sadness and, fear? He was genuinely afraid of losing me. Rea catches my eye from beside the fire and winks at me. I ignore her and focus on Legolas which is very easy.

"I'm ok Legolas, I promise." I look up at him and feel my heart skip a beat as the afternoon sun turns his blonde hair gold. His eyes shimmer and I forget how to breathe for a moment.

"Elsira, Rea was talking to me and there's something I'd like to say while we have the chance." My eyes dart to Rea and she meets my eyes, feigned innocence shining in hers. She smirks as much as a dragon can smirk and I mentally promise to have a little chat with her later. My eyes return to his and I see affection flash in his eyes. Once again the art of breathing eludes me and I sit in awe of the incredible man before me.

"She told me that she loved someone long ago and had hardly any time with them because of Sauron but in saying this she made me realize something. I'd rather spend one minute with you than a lifetime without. Do you, perhaps, feel the same way?" His voice is smooth and comforting and I find myself stumbling for something to say.

"M-am simtit acest fel pentru o lungă perioadă de timp, vânătorule mea."I reply saucily with a smirk. His eyebrows arch at my unexpected elvish response. I shrug and smile broadly, amused by his confusion. He glances towards Rea who just shakes her head no, admitting to her lack of involvement. He looks back at me and he half smiles in amusement at my odd speech choice, as neither of us knew I could speak Elvish.

"Atunci nu vom pierde o secundă să mă prefac altfel, steaua mea." His words flow like a song, sounding smooth and melodic yet masculine. Surprisingly I can understand him, though I know not how. It's not like I really learned elvish. I glance over at Rea whose draconic face is morphed into a playful smile. Ah, so it seems I have my own personal translator. My eyes wander back to my hunter, my Legolas.

"Why did you leave?" I don't specify when but we both know what I mean. He sighs and leans back against a tree. I'm talking about after he kissed me.

"I worked up the nerve because Gimli had given me dwarven ale, which could be the strongest ale ever brewed. I didn't have much; just enough that I was brave enough to do what I pleased. I left because I realized that I wanted to be able to do that without the ale." He speaks softly but my keen elven ears catch every word. So that is why he was so brazen. I stare into his eyes and see his feelings reflected there, his confusion, his concern, his adoration, his honesty. For a brief instant, his eyes are the gateway to his soul and I can see everything. His beautiful eyes, eyes that are more beautiful than any I've ever seen before. Mine, whispers a voice in my head.

"Legolas, Elsira, it's time." Aragorn calls from his spot by the fire. Legolas stands and pulls me to my feet, holding me close for a moment before smiling knowingly and walking over to the remainder of our group. I follow behind him, unsure of what we are about to do. I look over towards the river and see Boromir's body lying in a boat. So that is what we are going to do.

We all walk solemnly towards the boat and gather 'round it. Legolas and I stand juxtaposed near the water and Gimli stands across from us .Aragorn stand at the front of the tiny boat, preparing to cast it off. He pushes the boat into the water and after a moment Aragorn sings a final goodbye.

I stay silent, and then Legolas begins after Aragorn ends. I have a tiny mental battle deciding whether or not to join. It seems to be some sort of free verse song about Boromir and as Legolas's song ends, I decide to give it a shot. As Legolas falls silent, I begin to sing. All eyes are on me and apart from my singing, everything is silent. My voice is soft with a slight warble sometimes and instead of sounding bad, it sounds exotic and beautiful. My voice is different here than it was back home, there, I couldn't sing at all but here, as an elf, I can sing.

My voice shifts and rises and halfway through a sentence I realize I'm singing in elvish. It was so natural I didn't even notice, which scares me a bit. How long was I singing in elvish? It just seemed so normal I didn't even give it a passing thought until now. I glance over at Legolas who seems entranced and on the last line, I clear my head and finish the song with a flourish, my voice rising and then descending, finishing on a lower note.

I finish proud but sad, as that was a song of the death of a friend and a good one, a friend who met an untimely end defending his friends. Boromir was noble, and we all fall silent as we take a moment of silence in honor of the proud and courageous warrior. He deserves at least that. Boromir was an honorable man and he will be missed.

Where does that leave us? We've lost most of the Fellowship and are in a rather precarious situation. We could go after Frodo and Sam or Pippin and Merry, but either way one of them is simply left to their own devices. Legolas heads towards another boat.

"Where are you going?" Aragorn asks. Legolas looks at the man incredulously. "I'm going after Frodo." Aragorn surprises us all by shaking his head.

"It's up to Frodo now, Pippin and Merry need us at the moment and we cannot let the little ones down." Aragorn says evenly. I know that's not why though.

"I already lost control, what's to stop others from trying it, or heck, what if I try again and succeed? Frodo must walk this path with Sam and Sam alone, as Sam is the only one he can trust right now. We all mean well, but our time together is done. Pippin and Merry need us right now, we mustn't let them down." I say, voicing Aragorn's unspoken reasoning.

"Then why are we still standing here? Let's go save us some hobbits!" Gimli says boisterously. I cannot help but smile at his high spirits. Legolas still looks unsure, and his eyes meet mine. I nod reassuringly and smile as Rea leaps up onto my shoulder, curling along the back of my neck. We set out, heading quickly in the direction the orcs went.

**-time skip-**

In the distance I can see smoke rising up in the distance, curling into the sky like a massive snake trying to squeeze the life from the dainty and life-filled blue. A few clouds mar the near perfect horizon, though for the most part the sky is a flawless blue. It reminds me of home.

Home, I can barely remember the place I come from. I remember a face, the face of a friend I believe, Leah is her name. I know I come from a different world, but memories slip through my fingers like sand. No matter how hard I try to hold on it continues to slip away until there's hardly anything left. Why can't I remember? I can remember every detail of my stay since I've come here, but all I know of my past is that I'm not from here. I vaguely recall having a simple life, a loving family, a few friends, but nothing more.

"Are you all right Elsira? You seem lost." I look up at the speaker, instantly recognizing his voice.

"I'm fine Legolas. I'm just thinking of my home, or, trying to. I can't remember much to be honest and I'm somewhat saddened that I can't. I should like to remember my family, but I cannot. I cannot remember anything at all and that fact is maddening simply because I know naught of who I am." I reply, my voice sadder than I'd like it to be. Since when did I talk like that? I sound odd, even to myself. Am I even Elsira anymore?

"It doesn't matter who you were back then, it's who you are now that counts. What happened before is just what led up to this point, and does not matter to be honest. What matters is who you are now." He sounds so sure of himself and I find myself wishing I had such faith in my words.

"The person I am now is Elsira, but I am not sure what that means. Who am I? I come from another world, but it is one I cannot speak of. I cannot even remember the place I'm from. Imagine not knowing your parents, your home, or your world. It is not easy to be so confident when you don't even know who you are." He looks ponderous as I say this and I know he is contemplating it. I sigh sadly, fully knowing that there is nothing I can do.

The sun is setting, and we are close to the orcs. We decide to make camp, not wanting to fight them in the dark of night unless they are unaware, which they are not. They fully expect us and so we have decided to wait until morning to attack, after they have been on the run all night.

Legolas takes first watch and Aragorn and Gimli fall asleep quickly. I lie awake, unable to sleep. I sit up and his eyes instantly are upon me.

"You should be asleep. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow, and precious few hours to spend on sleep." I nod, knowing that I should be asleep. Knowing and doing are two different things though. I sigh and sit up.

"You should sleep too. You always take first watch and you always prolong your watch. You must be tired. Why not let someone else take over?" I shiver a bit but due to the close proximity of the orcs, it wouldn't be very smart to light a fire. They night air is chilly but not cold enough to be a problem. I pull my blanket closer, wrapping it around myself as I try to get warm. Legolas walks over and sits down beside me.

"I have spent years of my life sleeping for nearly half the day. A few missed hours will not kill me." He jests lightly, making me smile as I recall hating getting up in the morning. I never liked getting up, it was often cold outside of the blankets and I am the kind of person who favors warmth. It takes a second for me to realize the implications of that memory. I actually remembered something from my old life!

"What do you remember about the place you're from?" He asks. My mind drifts to the memories I have, which isn't much sadly.

"I remember a blue sky, bluer than the one here. There was a lot of violence there, in the place I was from. There was no magic, no elves, only humans. I don't remember much else sadly." I feel a twinge of despair at my lack of memory. Why must everything be so complicated? Every time I try to remember something it slips through my fingers and I cannot remember a single thing at all. Such things defy logic, there should be some sort of reason! I didn't develop a serious case of long term memory loss or amnesia suddenly and nothing else makes sense.

"I remember my best friend. Her name was Leah…." I trail off, not wanting to finish the sentence. It's all still so fresh and painful despite my lack of significant or worthwhile memories. Everything is just gone, like it was never even there.

"You have no idea how lucky you are to have best friends. Back home, I have to be so formal and do so much, I don't have time for such things." He sighs and looks up at the stars. I guess I never really thought about his past, only my own.

"Tell me about your home." It's not really optional the way I said it. I should have been a little more questioning instead of insisting but ah well, can't do much now. He takes a deep breath.

"Not much to tell really. I'm from Mirkwood and there, we can be pretty serious. The forest is dangerous and we always have to be alert so nothing takes us by surprise. Giant spiders lurk in the forest not far from our home, but it's not all bad. Sometimes it's a lot of fun, like during the Vernal Equinox celebration. That is a particular favorite of mine. One day, after all this is over, I want to take you with me to Mirkwood. It's beautiful there, and in my opinion, it is even more beautiful than Imladris." Instantly I imagine a beautiful city built into the forest like it belongs there. Perhaps it does, they are elves after all. So am I, I guess.

"Maybe one day I will, if we survive this." I look away, scenarios passing through my mind. I might not make it, he, he may not make it. We could die any day, this is a war we're fighting, and one of us has already died, perhaps more. Everything is falling apart and I can't help but wonder if perhaps it's my fault. I am inexperienced, I've never fought, never been in a war. While I want to help, I'm not sure how much good I'll do. I just wish I could do more. I stand up.

"I… need time." I turn and start heading into the forest. I need to clear my head and being alone in the forest has always worked particularly well for me. I walk into the woods, focusing on the perfection of the world around me so I don't think about anything else. I should have brought a weapon, or Rea.

_**Rea, wake up. I need you. **_There's no response. I shake off the cold feeling of dread and chalk it up to her being asleep. I feel completely alone, and panic rises in my chest. This was a bad idea. I start heading back the way I came but I wasn't paying attention to the direction I walked when I came here. I'm lost.

_**Wake up! Rea wake up! **_Still no response, I try to keep calm but I'm alone with god knows what and only magic as a defense. If I yell to try and attract the attention of Legolas or one of my other companions, I risk alerting whatever else could be near. It's best to just keep quiet.

I start walking in a random direction, hoping to find someone or something that is friendly. It's dead silent, but I swear I can hear something following me. It sounds like something that's trying not to make a sound. A faint shuffle to my left, or is it just my imagination? It must be my mind playing tricks on me, it's silent. Not a sound in the whole forest. It's too quiet.

A loud crunch makes me jump. I look around, eyes wide before realizing that it was me, and I had merely stepped on a pile of leaves. I relax, and hear a tiny scraping noise to my left again, so quiet I question its existence. I hear a tiny whisper of sound to my right and panic rises in my chest. My heart flutters in my chest and I take off running. My heart pounds as I careen crazily through tiny gaps between trees and leap over streams and debris.

I see a tree with low branches just ahead of me and leap. I manage to grab a branch and my feet scrabble against the rough bark as I try to find footing. I wrap my other arm around the branch and use my adrenaline and strength to haul myself up. I fly up the tree, managing to get into one of he higher branches. My heart beats like a bird's and my breathing is erratic.

I hunker down on the limb, hoping that nothing will find me. I close my eyes and issue a silent prayer that I don't die in this forest. I close my eyes as I pray and somehow fall asleep. I wake to a brilliant light, but it is not the light of dawn. It's like a beacon, shimmering and shining upon the ground, I look away, my eyes not used to anything but darkness. My eyes gradually adjust and I look at it. It's a small shining sphere and as I watch, it begins to move. I leap down from the tree and walk over to the strange little object, but as I get close it darts off.

I follow the glow, chasing after it, hoping that nothing bad will find me. Out of nowhere a small winged creature launches itself at my head and I scream. I leap out of the way and it hovers just outside of the ring of light. It flies into the ring and I laugh.

"Rea! Thank goodness you're here! Although a little earlier might have been nice." She perches herself on my shoulder and I look back to the ball of light from before. It's glowing on the ground and I set out after it again, running after the little ball.

_How odd that you always wear that leather armor, but I guess this is why. Strange, strange girl. A shame you didn't bring a sword. Perhaps you could summon one. _I sigh before mentally answering _**Thanks for the advice but I don't really know how. **_She rolls her eyes at my incompetence and I scowl._It's a pretty simple incantation, I can teach you._ She sends thoughts, images and visions and explains the process.

With a bit of work I manage to summon some sort of crimson energy sword. It's light and well balanced. I smile, proud of my work, and look around for the glowing ball. I spot it a ways off, and jog after it. We move at a steady pace and eventually come upon a strange house in the forest.

I approach the house with caution, wary of who or what could be inside. I peer into the window; the house is quaint, very tidy and small. There is a massive bookshelf and an alchemy table with dozens of components. Perhaps the one who lives within runs an apothecary? No, that doesn't make sense, why would there be an apothecary if there is no one around?

"Didn't anyone ever tell you not to try and spy on people?" Asks a voice from behind me. The voice sounds old and worn out, and I turn quickly, energy sword by my side and in a good defensive position. The woman is old, with long grey hair that is up in a bun and pale blue eyes. She has pale skin and more wrinkles than I dare to count. But altogether, she is not very threatening, her stance is not aggressive, but passive, and her expression is one of amusement, as if she expected me.

"Yes, she did. I'm sorry, I was in the forest chasing some orcs and an unfamiliar house is not what I had expected to find. Surely you can understand my trepidation regarding finding such a house at this hour and in this location." I think polite is the best way to go with this woman. I figure that telling some of the truth will not hurt, as I am not giving anything away, but the whole truth is none of her concern.

_Watch out for this one, I sense magic about._ She is a witch? Or some other sort of magic wielder, either way, I am on edge. I watch her warily.

"Oh relax; it was I who summoned you here in the first place. Were it my intention to harm you I would never have initiated conversation. Come in, this chilly air is not good for my old bones." She turns around and shambles over to the door. She walks in, leaving it wide open for me to follow. I cautiously follow the old woman inside, dispelling the sword as I enter. The smell of herbs hits me. Herbs and flowers decorate much of the house, taking up more space than I had initially realized. There must be hundreds of components here; mosses, flowers, herb, liquids, preserved animals, strange things in jars and other oddities that I could not name on my best day.

She must be a witch, isn't this the sort of thing that witches have? Is she a good witch or a bad witch? Or what if she isn't a witch at all? She could just be an old lady with an obsession for alchemy. Why did she bring me here? She sits down at a table and motions for me to sit across from her. I hesitantly sit.

"You have questions, yes? Ask away." She says. A thousand questions race through my head and I decide to pick one off the top.

"Why did you lead my here?" I ask. She summons the little ball of light and it dances across her fingers, never slowing or stopping its movement.

"I brought you here because you are not from here and that intrigues me. You are from your world, Earth I believe it is called. Well, what no one has told you is that you paid a price to come here. Right now everyone in your world is searching for you, as you have vanished. In a little less than a month, you will be declared dead, at which point you will be incapable of returning home. This concerns me as I was the one that brought you here. Yes, yes, your friend Galadriel will claim it was she but no, I am the one she sought out to cast the spell. You see, she and your little friend Reavardian chose you but actually getting you here, that was my doing." I sit back and take this in. _**Rea? Is what she says true? **__Galadriel said she employed the help of a very powerful old witch to get you here. If this is that witch I would be careful. __**Duly noted.**_

"Wait, I'm missing in that world? I was just there! I have a dog there, and I was talking to Leah!" I say heatedly, unnerved. She shakes her head sadly.

"That wasn't real. She was merely a projection of your subconscious. You never went back, it was a dream. Right now, everyone thinks you're dead and they are officially declaring you dead in 20 days. After that, you will not be able to return." I run my fingers through my hair, trying to take this in. My parents, Leah, whatever friends I had, they think I'm dead.

"Your parents are leading the searches. Both of them are wrought with grief that their only child is gone. Your best friend Leah has been worried sick, she refuses to speak to anyone and hasn't left her house in days. Galadriel took your memories from you but I can get them back. Do you want to remember? Do you want to see what you have lost?" I sit speechless, horrified. Have I been selfish, leaving all of them behind when so many people loved me? Leah was like a sister to me and I left her.

I look at the powerful witch, too stunned to speak. I am mortified by my decisions, I never even thought about the people I'd left behind. What have I done? I feel tears in my eyes and try to blink them back but to no avail.

"I left all of them to go chasing after fairy tales. What have I done?" I cry then, really cry. Everyone thinks I'm dead, my parents, Leah, my other friends, and I can't even remember their faces! Their names are gone. Everything is gone! And meanwhile I am just running around in a fairy tale world while everyone worries about me back home.

"I left them, I left them all! How could I be so selfish?" I cry, letting my head hang in shame. Rea climbs up onto my lap and nuzzles my cheek. _I know it's hard, and I know it hurts, but we need you Ells. Without you, our world could be destroyed and families wouldn't have a chance to mourn because they would die as well. Please, you must stay._

"I don't know anymore. I want to remember, I don't want everything to disappear. Let me remember, please." I say my voice scratchy. She stands up and shambles off, retrieving a strange silver goblet with rubies embedded on the rim, then pouring a strange mixture into it. It's pale blue and thin, like water.

I take a deep breath and then drink it all. Memories come flooding back. Laughing with my dad as we played in the snow when I was six. Baking cookies with my mom. My first white Christmas. Kissing Daniel Parker under the willow tree when I was fourteen. Eating pizza with Leah. Chatting with Jade at the mall while we were looking for cute shoes. Staying inside all day and reading book after book while rain pelted down outside. Everything is gone now, and in less than a month, there will be no going back. It's all gone.

The tears return, and I don't try to stop them. I remember everything now, and I miss it all. I even miss the constant teasing of my co-worker James. He was annoying but we had fun. We would just sit and talk when there was no one in the book store, and he was a good friend to me. And now everyone thinks I'm dead.

It's funny how little you think about what you have, and then everything is taken from you and you miss the little things. I miss the rainy days where I would sit inside and curl up with a good book, and the times when my friends and I would head over to the mall. We never really bought anything, just kind of wandered and chatted, having fun while everyone else walked around in the latest fashions and acted all high and mighty. We always laughed at them, not caring about fitting in with everyone else.

There were so many times Jade, Leah, Emma, Savannah and I would go to a little restaurant and just hang out. We always got two plates of nachos and split them, while talking about the latest gossip like we cared. We never really cared but it was fun to pretend we did and laugh about it.

"I know your friends need you and I know that ultimately, you would stay here but I believe I can give you some closure. I will give you ten minutes with Leah and then ten minutes with your parents that you might say goodbye." I look up at the old woman, hope flaring in my chest.

"You would do that? I, thank you. Thank you so much." She smiles and waves a hand as if it were nothing. Her kindness in doing this means the world to me. To be able to see my dear friend again as well as my parents…

"You have ten minutes with Leah. Then you will be sent to your parents and after ten minutes you will return. It's a powerful spell, brace yourself." With that her eyes close in concentration and she begins to chant. The chanting grows louder and the room begins to grow hazy. Everything goes dark and suddenly I'm in Leah's house.

Leah is lying on her couch, unmoving. Tears streak her face and a box of tissues lies mutilated beside her.

"Leah?" I say. She turns, surprised. Her eyes widen and before I can move or speak she tackles me in a hug. We are both crying, ecstatic from the joy of seeing each other.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN WE'VE BEEN WORRIED SICK! Everyone thought you were dead!" She yells, ranting. She takes a step back and looks at me.

"I only have ten minutes and that's not nearly enough time to explain everything. I went to Middle Earth and have been there all this time. I recently found a witch who sent me back here and gave me ten minutes to say goodbye." She doesn't even ask, just hugs me tightly.

"Don't leave again, please! Everyone thinks you're dead and they've been searching for you. I don't care where you've been, don't go back." She says. She is begging, and Leah never begs. We are best friends, practically sisters; I would do the same thing if she left.

"Leah, I have to go back. Without me, their world could be destroyed. I can't let them all die. I know it sounds crazy but you have to believe me. I have the scars as proof." She shakes her head.

"Middle Earth huh? Yeah, you are going to have to prove that. Not just scars, I need some other form of proof. The armor is convincing I'll say that much, but you have similar armor and weapons at your house." She looks skeptical. I take a deep breath and feel my magic. I focus on fire and feel power surge through me. A ball of fire appears in my hands and Leah's eyes widen.

"Ells, you… That's… You were serious." She stumbles over the words and stares at the small flame.

"Then this is it. This is the last time I'm ever going to see you." The tears are back, blurring both our vision. I nod, the tears streaking my face. She hugs me again and I return the hug with equal strength. My time is almost up.

"Leah, I have to leave soon, but I am ok and if I ever get the chance again I will come back. I promise." I say. She nods, and hugs me one last time. The room begins to fade and suddenly I'm in my house. My parents are standing by the door, my mom crying.

"Mom… Dad…" I say. They turn towards me and run forwards and hug them both.

"Oh my god! Elsira! Where have you been!?" My mom asks through her tears. She hugs me so tight I can't breathe. Her grip finally loosens and I suck in a huge breath. My dad hugs me then, just as tight. He too, is crying and that spurs on more tears.

"Mom, dad, I'm ok. I have to go soon but I'm here, I'm alive. I can't stay here for long, I'm really sorry but I can't." They hug me again, squeezing the air from my lungs. I finally suck in a breath.

"Why can't you stay? Where are you going?" My dad asks. I sigh sadly. I knew this wouldn't be easy.

"I can't really explain but just know that I'm happy and am going somewhere amazing." I say through my tears. They nod, tears in their eyes.

"Ok baby girl. But promise me that you will come back if you get the chance." I nod, not trusting myself to speak. I swallow thickly, trying to gather myself so that I might speak.

"I will. I love you guys. I love you so much." I hug them tightly again, knowing that this is most likely the last time I will ever see them. The room fades and I am back where I started. I wipe my eyes.

"Are you all right?" The woman asks. I nod.

"Thank you so much. I, I needed that." I say. She smiles reassuringly and Rea climbs up onto my shoulder.

"I ought to get back to my friends. They will no doubt be worried sick. Could you perhaps, point me in the right direction?" I ask. She smiles and says an incantation. The room begins to fade.

"We will meet again, Elsira." She says. I blink, finding myself and Rea back at the campfire. Aragorn is sitting by the campfire and Legolas and Gimli are sleeping not far away. Dawn is creeping into the sky and Aragorn looks at me.

"Where were you?" He asks, as if seeing me appear in front of him is perfectly normal. Then again, judging by the many other oddities in this world, it very well could be. Who knows.

"I was just taking a walk." I say, feeling it unnecessary to tell him about the woman in the forest. That's my business and my business alone. He doesn't need to know about my little trip. He eyes me skeptically but does not ask.

"All right. Go sleep for a few hours, you probably need it." He says. Feeling tired I agree and go lie down. The few hours I snagged before feel like a lifetime ago. Within seconds of lying down I am asleep. I do not dream this time. Perhaps that is best. After everything that has happened, I just want to sleep. Memories and visits can wait until tomorrow. Right now, I don't really care.

**Elvish:**

M-am simtit acest fel pentru o lungă perioadă de timp, vânătorule mea.

I have felt this way for a long time, my hunter.

Atunci nu vom pierde o secundă să mă prefac altfel, steaua mea

Then we will not waste a second pretending otherwise, my star

**WOOOH! I finally finished it! After a WHOLE MONTH. Wow, I am really not very happy about that but I had a ton of projects and I had to help a good friend of mine who is emotionally unstable. Problems problems problems! Anyways, hope yall all had a lovely Valentines Day! I know I did! I will update sooner next time! This one was the longest yet and I am very pleased by that. I worked really hard and I would like to take a moment to thank everyone who reads this story and reviews, favorites or follows it! I have a lot of all three and am really pleased by that. Thanks!**

**-Goddess out.**


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